Tourism Risk Management - Sustainable Tourism Online

Tourism Risk Management 

An Authoritative Guide to Managing Crises in Tourism 

DECEMBER 2006 

A Report Prepared By: 

APEC International Centre for 

Sustainable Tourism (AICST) 

Doone Robertson, Ian Kean, Stewart Moore 

In partnership with:

This report is an initiative of the APEC International Centre for Sustainable Tourism (AICST). It is based on an 

earlier report entitled “Tourism Risk Management in the Asia Pacific Region – An Authoritative Guide to 

Managing Crises and Disasters” published in 2004. 

The major partner in the project is the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). The Pacific Asia 

Travel Association (PATA) is also a project partner. 

Production Team 

The research, editorial and production team was led by Sustainable Tourism Services. 

The principal writer was Doone Robertson, an experienced emergency management consultant and the 

Director of Studies at the Australian School of Emergency Management. 

Other writers and researchers who assisted with this report are: 

• Ian Kean, Executive Director of AICST, Australia 

• Stewart Moore, Managing Director of Sustainable Tourism Services, Australia 

• Yetta Gurtner, PhD Research Student from the Centre for Disaster Studies at James Cook University, in 

Australia 

• Cara Holcombe, Project Manager at Sustainable Tourism Services, Australia 

• Dr Jeff Wilks, Centre for Tourism and Risk Management at University of Queensland, Australia 

Use of the report and its contents 

The report is intended to be freely used by governments and the tourism industry throughout the Asia-Pacific 

region and beyond. It must not be used for commercial gain. The report and its contents must be used as 

presented and cannot be amended in any way without the written permission of AICST, which holds a 

worldwide license for the report and its contents from the Australian Government. 

Acknowledgements 

Australian Government - This project was principally funded by the Australian Department of Industry, Tourism 

& Resources as an AusAID APEC Support Program project. All intellectual property developed by this project 

belongs to the Australian Government. 

Cover photography acknowledgements: 

Jim Holmes courtesy of Oxfam, ABC Library Sales and Journal Sentinel Online 

Published by 

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 

APEC Secretariat 

35 Heng Mui Keng Terrace, Singapore 119616 

Telephone Number: (65) 6775 6012 

Facsimile Number: (65) 6775 6013 

Website: www.apec.org 

APEC #206-TO-03.1 

ISBN981-05-6732-4 

General Disclaimer 

This report mentions the activities and experiences of a number of organizations and individuals. These 

activities and names are given for record and as examples, but do not entail automatic endorsement by AICST 

or its project partners. While all care has been taken to check and validate material presented in this report, 

independent professional and/or legal advice should be sought before any action or decision is taken on the 

basis of material contained in this report. The contents of this report do not reflect the views of the Australian 

Government and should not be relied upon as reflecting Australian Government views. The Australian 

Government shall not be liable, in any way, for any loss arising from use or reliance upon material in this 

publication by another person. 

Tourism Risk Management – An Authoritative Guide to Managing Crises in Tourism 

i

Foreword 

The world travel and tourism industry only recently began to return to pre year 2000 levels of growth 

and stability following the series of tragic events which shook the foundations of the industry. 

This second APEC report provides an essential guide on the processes associated with developing a 

risk management strategy for a tourism destination or business and how to implement and maintain 

these plans over time. Most importantly the guide provides a practical framework from which both 

businesses and destinations can apply crisis management strategies for prevention, preparedness, 

response and recovery. 

The workshop training packages which accompany this guide have been designed to provide a 

platform to stimulate open information exchange and learning. 

A central lesson in all the case study material contained in this guide is that, in times of crisis, 

residents and visitors need firm leadership and direction. Adequate planning for what has in the past 

been seen as the ‘unexpected’ can be the difference between a well-managed problem and a social 

and economic disaster. Through working with existing disaster management bodies, government 

agencies and key tourism stakeholders the tourism industry can learn to address risk management 

issues and reduce the impact of crises and disasters on the growth and viability of this important 

industry. 

Developing effective relationships with the media and sharing information in a transparent way are 

critical issues. A full chapter of this report is dedicated to media and information management; so 

important are they in an age of almost instantaneous communication. 

We look forward to working with our key partners in taking forward the recommendations and 

guidelines contained within the workshop manuals and this guide. 

Sir Frank Moore AO 

Chair 

APEC International Centre for Sustainable Tourism (AICST) 

ii 

Tourism Risk Management – An Authoritative Guide to Managing Crises in Tourism

CONTENTS 

PREFACE........................................................................................................................................ VI 

INTRODUCTION ...............................................................................................................................1 

CHAPTER 1: PROTECTING TOURISM ...........................................................................................4 

Aim of this Chapter.........................................................................................................................4 

Profile of Tourism Worldwide .........................................................................................................4 

Profile of the Asia-Pacific Region...................................................................................................5 

The Importance of Tourism ............................................................................................................6 

Tourism Industry Contribution to World and APEC Economies .....................................................7 

Recent Tourism Performance Worldwide ......................................................................................9 

Chapter Summary ..................................................................................................................13 

References...................................................................................................................................14 

CHAPTER 2: RISK MANAGEMENT FOR TOURISM CRISES AND DISASTERS........................16 

Aim of this Chapter.......................................................................................................................16 

Introduction ..................................................................................................................................16 

Disasters and Tourism .................................................................................................................17 

Crisis Management ......................................................................................................................17 

The Role of the Tourism Industry in Risk Management ...............................................................17 

Hazards (Sources of Risk) ...........................................................................................................19 

The Nature of Disasters ...............................................................................................................21 

The Toll from Disasters in 2005 ...................................................................................................23 

The Risk Management Standard .................................................................................................23 

Adapting the Risk Management Standard to Disaster/Emergency Risk Management ................23 

The Role of the Tourism Industry in Risk Management and Disaster Risk Management............24 

The Tourism Risk Management Process .....................................................................................24 

1. COMMUNICATE AND CONSULT ...........................................................................................25 

2. MONITOR AND REVIEW ........................................................................................................26 

STEP 1 – Establish the Context...........................................................................................26 

STEP 2 – Identify Risks .......................................................................................................27 

STEP 3 – Analyse Risks ......................................................................................................28 

STEP 4 – Evaluate Risks.....................................................................................................30 

STEP 5 – Treat Risks ..........................................................................................................30 

Residual risk.................................................................................................................................32 

Chapter Summary ...................................................................................................................32 

References...................................................................................................................................35 

CHAPTER 3: NATIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES FOR RISK AND DISASTER MANAGEMENT ...36 


Risk Management at the National Level ......................................................................................36 

Coordination and Partnerships – A National Tourism Council .....................................................36 

A National Tourism Safety and Security Plan ..............................................................................38 

A National Tourism Incident Response Plan................................................................................38 

Business Continuity Planning Guide for a Human Influenza Pandemic.......................................39 

Counter-Terrorism and Consequence Management....................................................................41 

Preventing Organized Crime........................................................................................................44 


iii

Tourism Risk Management in the Pacific Region ........................................................................45 

Disasters in Asia and the Pacific..................................................................................................46 

National Disaster Management Arrangements in Asia and the Pacific........................................47 

The Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre....................................................................................48 

Tourism Disaster Response Network...........................................................................................49 


References...................................................................................................................................49 

CHAPTER 4: CRISIS MANAGEMENT FOR TOURISM OPERATORS AND DESTINATIONS.....51 


Introduction ..................................................................................................................................51 

The Four Crisis Management Strategies .....................................................................................52 

1. Prevention/Mitigation................................................................................................................52 

Occupational Health and Safety...........................................................................................52 

2. Preparedness...........................................................................................................................53 

The Planning Committee......................................................................................................54 

Tourism Crisis Management Planning .................................................................................54 

Criteria for Crisis Control Personnel.....................................................................................55 

Training of Staff....................................................................................................................56 

Testing Plans and Personnel – Crisis Management Exercises (Mock Crises) ....................56 

Exercise Options..................................................................................................................56 

The Tourism Crisis Planning Process..................................................................................57 

3. Response .................................................................................................................................59 

The Tourism Crisis Management Centre .............................................................................61 

Crisis Information Management ...........................................................................................62 

Tourism Business Continuity................................................................................................63 

4. Recovery ..................................................................................................................................63 

Recovery Processes ............................................................................................................64 

Debriefing Processes...........................................................................................................64 

Aide-Memoir for Crisis Debriefing ........................................................................................65 


References...................................................................................................................................67 

Checklist for Prevention...................................................................................................68 

Checklist for Preparedness .............................................................................................69 

Checklist for Response....................................................................................................70 

Checklist for Recovery.....................................................................................................71 

CHAPTER 5: MEDIA AND COMMUNICATION..............................................................................72 

Aim of This Chapter .....................................................................................................................72 

Introduction ..................................................................................................................................72 

Patterns of Media Reporting ........................................................................................................72 

Managing the Media.....................................................................................................................73 

Guidelines for the Visitor Industry ................................................................................................73 

I. Before a Crisis: Preparing for the Worst ........................................................................73 

II. Minimizing Damage..................................................................................................76 

III. Recovering Visitor Confidence.................................................................................79 

References...................................................................................................................................86 

APPENDIX A: GLOSSARY OF TERMS.........................................................................................87 

iv 


LIST OF TABLES 

Table 1: World Travel and Tourism (T&T) Estimated Forecasts........................................................4 

Table 2: Forecast Inbound Tourism, World by Regions.....................................................................5 

Table 3: Economic Indicators of the APEC Members........................................................................6 

Table 4: International Inbound Arrivals and Growth for 2005 to 2006 .............................................13 

LIST OF FIGURES 

Figure 1: Tourism 2020 Vision Forecasts ..........................................................................................5 

Figure 2: The Contribution of the Travel and Tourism Sector to APEC Economies’ GDP (Percent of 

Total GDP).........................................................................................................................................8 

Figure 3: Comparison of Receipts and Arrivals ................................................................................9 

Figure 4: World Inbound Tourism 1995-2005 ....................................................................................9 

Figure 5: International Tourism Arrivals to Phuket...........................................................................10 

Figure 6: International Tourist Arrivals by Country of Destination 2003...........................................11 

Figure 7: Tourist Arrivals and Receipts in Asia and the Pacific .......................................................12 

Figure 8: Risk Management Process...............................................................................................25 

Figure 9: Example threat level: US Department of Homeland Security...........................................42 

LIST OF CASE STUDIES 

Chapter 1 

The Economic Impact of SARS in Malaysia 

Chapter 2 

New Orleans and the Lessons of Hurricane Katrina 

The South Asia Tsunami and Recovery of Tourism in the Andaman 

Chapter 3 

Visitor Safety and Security: The South African Experience 

PATA and Project Phoenix 

Bali and Terrorism: Learning from the Past 

Tourism and Child Protection 

Transport Incidents 

Chapter 4 

Proactive Planning: An Example of Best Practice 

Crisis Management in Tourism in the Tropical North Queensland in 2000 

Phuket Tourism Risk Management Strategy 

Chapter 5 

UNWTO Crisis Action Team 

Philippine Rebel 

Charters for Safe Travel 


v

PREFACE 

Message of the Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization, Francesco Frangialli 

On behalf of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), I take this opportunity to congratulate the 

APEC International Centre for Sustainable Tourism (AICST) and the Australian Government on their 

undertaking of the Risk Management Project with an update of the earlier initiative of “Tourism Risk 

Management for the Asia-Pacific Region” published in 2004, by incorporating amongst others, the 

findings from the tsunami of 2004 and Hurricane Rita. 

It is indeed pleasing to note that this report is being published in Indonesian, Thai, Chinese, and 

Vietnamese languages in addition to the English version. UNWTO will add a Spanish version to this 

collection in the near future. It is also commendable that AICST has developed risk management 

training modules including trainer’s guides that will further help the project. 

UNWTO hopes that this initiative which is specific to Asia-Pacific will be a model for the rest of the 

world and that other regions will benefit from the experience and research of this project to develop 

their own systems, strategies and plans. 

The present collaboration of UNWTO and AICST is a direct outcome of the Phuket Action Plan where 

crisis management was recognized as one of the five major areas of development for post-tsunami 

tourism recovery. 

It is also noteworthy that UNWTO, having acquired significant experience in dealing with crises, both 

natural and man-made, has established a broader “Risk Management and Assessment Unit” at its 

headquarters so there could be a systematic sharing of facts in crisis management between Member 

States to which the AICST Risk Management Project will no doubt contribute in a significant manner. 

While extending my thanks to AICST I wish it all the success it so rightly deserves. 

Francesco Frangialli 

vi 


INTRODUCTION 

The purpose of this guide is to provide tourism industry members in Asia, the Pacific and beyond with 

an authoritative guide to risk management. Importantly, the generic risk management process has 

been adapted to the specific needs of tourism. The guide provides a practical framework within which 

tourism destinations can identify, analyse, evaluate, treat, monitor and review risks in the tourism 

context. Although the tourism risk management process has been developed for destinations, the 

same principles also apply to a tourism business or organization and can easily be adapted for their 

purposes. 

Throughout this guide there are two fundamental roles for tourism in risk management: the first of 

these is as a partner with government and community agencies in the development of multi-agency, 

coordinated disaster management plans, systems, procedures and processes which include the 

needs of tourism; the second is to develop plans and procedures appropriate to a destination and to 

the specific roles and responsibilities of an organization, to train personnel to those plans, and to 

conduct regular tests of plans, procedures and personnel with subsequent amendment and update. 

Although the tourism industry is not responsible for the development or implementation of community 

disaster management plans and arrangements, the guide recommends that destinations and tourism 

operators should, when possible, participate in disaster planning and management activities through 

appropriate local, regional or national committees. Such participation enables the importance of 

tourism to be drawn to the attention of disaster management agencies and promotes the need for 

appropriate measures to be established to protect visitors in times of crisis. Case studies of 

Hurricane Katrina and the Bali Bombings demonstrate how a community disaster can affect 

confidence in tourism and interfere with its ability to continue normal operations. 

While each tourist destination is unique and will have different issues to deal with, there are key 

areas of risk management which are common across destinations. The most obvious is a dramatic 

drop in visitor numbers in which the impact is felt across a whole economy. While this guide presents 

case studies of recent events which have had a significant impact on tourism, the focus is on 

solutions rather than merely documenting past difficulties. The guide also provides checklists which 

will assist destinations and tourism businesses to adopt current risk management processes. 

This guide draws on best practice from a range of sources within and outside the APEC group. 

Current knowledge and practical application are the objectives of the project, so that peak bodies 

(UNWTO, PATA, etc) can use material from this report for training and education programs. 

Recognizing the critical role of national governments in supporting and protecting tourist destinations, 

the guide also seeks to offer an authoritative guide that can be endorsed by governments. 

Chapter Summaries 

In order to demonstrate the importance of tourism, Chapter 1 begins with an overview of the need to 

protect tourism, focusing particularly on the economic significance of the tourism industry to all 

economies. Selected case studies reinforce the value of tourism by showing the economic losses 

associated with adverse events. 

Having established the importance of tourism for generating income, creating and sustaining jobs, 

encouraging foreign investment and facilitating trade opportunities, Chapter 2 then considers the key 

elements of crises and disasters and their effects upon tourism businesses/organizations and 

destinations and identifies the role of the tourism industry in risk management. The chapter provides 

a practical framework within which tourism destinations and businesses/organizations can identify, 

analyse, evaluate, treat, monitor and review risks and identifies the critical role of tourism operators in 

Tourism Risk Management – An Authoritative Guide to Managing Crises in Tourism 1

contributing to the development and implementation of multi-agency disaster management plans and 

systems. 

Chapter 3 identifies national governments’ responsibilities for the development, coordination and 

implementation of policies relating to risk and disaster management, and for establishing strategic 

directions for risk and disaster management processes. It identifies the need for national tourism 

councils and highlights the benefits of an effective partnership between government agencies and the 

tourism industry. Critical elements of a National Tourism Safety and Security Plan and a National 

Tourism Incident Response Plan are examined and the need for business continuity plans identified. 

Arrangements to prepare for and respond to a terrorism event are discussed, and an overview of 

national disaster management arrangements in Asia and the Pacific is provided. 

The crisis management strategies of prevention/mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery for 

tourism destinations are addressed in Chapter 4. It suggests the composition of and tasks for a crisis 

planning committee, identifies the key elements of a crisis response management plan, examines the 

training and exercising (testing) needs of a crisis management team, examines business continuity 

processes, and describes crisis recovery processes including debriefing. The chapter also highlights 

the need for tourism organizations and operators to work with relevant government agencies and 

community organizations to develop effective partnerships for crisis management. 

Chapter 5 examines the role of the media and general information exchange (including the role of 

Travel Advisories) in the management of tourism crisis situations. Having a separate chapter on 

media and information issues reinforces the importance of each in crisis and disaster management. 

Throughout this report the following symbols are used to assist the reader: 

Case Study: An example to illustrate a concept or activity. 

Checklist: A self-help tool to clarify points made in the text. 

Summary: Draws together points raised in the text. 

Definitions used in this guide 

In this guide, a risk represents a source of potential harm to an operator or a destination/community. 

Risk management is concerned with identifying and analysing the risks (the chance of something 

happening) to an organization or community and deciding what can or should be done to address 

these risks. 

Risk management in the tourism context refers to the planning and implementation of processes 

directed towards managing the adverse effects of crises and disasters on tourism. It also addresses 

tourism’s potential opportunities for the improvement in systems and procedures. 

While risk management is essentially about anticipating and minimizing risks, crisis occurs when an 

unforeseen or unavoidable event does occur. According to PATA (2003) a crisis is defined as: 

‘Any situation that has the potential to affect long-term confidence in an organization or a 

product, or which may interfere with its ability to continue operating normally’. 

The term crisis management applies to the means by which a tourism business/organization or 

destination prepares for, responds to and recovers from a crisis. 

The term disaster refers a serious disruption to a community which is of such magnitude that 

responding organizations, infrastructure and resources are overwhelmed and there is an inability to 

2 Tourism Risk Management – An Authoritative Guide to Managing Crises in Tourism

eturn to normal without external assistance. Chapter 2 provides a detailed overview of disasters and 

how they relate to tourism. 

A complete Glossary of Terms can be found in Appendix A. 


CHAPTER 1: PROTECTING TOURISM 

Aim of this Chapter 

Tourism has become one of the major generators for social and economic growth in the world and 

one of the leading drivers of international trade. In order to gain the support of key decision-makers in 

government and industry it is critical that the value and importance of tourism for each destination is 

clearly articulated. The aim of this chapter is to highlight the importance of tourism for generating 

income, creating and sustaining jobs, encouraging foreign investment and facilitating trade 

opportunities for each of the 21 APEC economies within the regional trading bloc and worldwide. It 

also emphasizes the impact of world events on national economies and the business of tourism 

everywhere. This chapter is intentionally directed at national, state/provincial and local government 

officials who may not be fully aware of the economic value of tourism to their destinations, yet whose 

support is crucial to destinations having resources in place to manage risks to tourism. 

Profile of Tourism Worldwide 

Travel and tourism - encompassing accommodation, transport, catering, recreation and visitor 

services - is one of the world’s highest priority industries and employers. In 2006 travel and tourism is 

expected to post US$6,477.2bn of economic activity (total demand) and is expected to directly 

contribute 3.6% (US$1,754.5bn) to Gross Domestic Product (GDP). 

The total direct and indirect economic contribution (percentage of total) of travel and tourism is 

estimated to rise from 10.3% (US$4,963.8bn) in 2006 to 10.9% (US$8,971.6bn) in 2016, and is 

expected to generate 234,305,000 jobs, 8.7% of total employment in 2006, rising to 279,347,000 

jobs, 9.0% of total employment, over the same time period. 

The following table provides a snapshot of the projected value of tourism to the world’s economy 

from 2006 to 2016: 

Table 1: World Travel and Tourism (T&T) Estimated Forecasts 

2006 2016 

World US$ bn % of Total Growth 1 US$ bn % of Total Growth 2 

Personal Travel and Tourism 2,845 9.5 3.7 4,916 9.8 3.4 

Business Travel 672 --- 5.9 1,190 --- 3.6 

Government Expenditures 300 3.8 2.2 481 4.0 2.6 

Capital Investment 1,011 9.3 4.9 2,060 9.6 4.6 

Visitor Exports 896 6.4 6.5 1,754 5.5 4.9 

Other Exports 750 5.4 5.0 1,715 5.4 6.5 

Travel and Tourism Demand 6,477 --- 4.6 12,119 --- 4.2 

T&T Industry GDP 1,754 3.6 4.4 2,969 3.6 3.2 

T&T Economy GDP 4,964 10.3 4.8 8,972 10.9 3.7 

T&T Industry Employment 76,728.7 2.8 3.4 89,484.5 2.9 1.6 

T&T Economy Employment 234,304.5 8.7 4.4 279,346.7 9.0 1.8 

(Source: World Travel and Tourism Council, 2006) 

1 

2006 Real Growth Adjusted for Inflation (%) 

2 

2007-2016 Annualized Real Growth Adjusted for Inflation (%): ‘000 of Jobs 


The World Tourism Organization (2001) predicts that the number of international arrivals worldwide 

will increase from 565 million in 1995 to almost 1.6 billion by 2020 and receipts from international 

tourism (excluding transport) are projected to reach US$2 trillion. 

Figure 1: Tourism 2020 Vision Forecasts 

Tourism 2020 Vision - Forecasts 

2500 

2000 

1500 

1000 

500 

0 

565 

401 

International tourist arrivals 

(million) 

1561 

2000 

International tourism 

receipts (US$ billion) 

1995 2020 

Table 2 provides a breakdown of international arrivals, by region: 

Table 2: Forecast Inbound Tourism, World by Regions 

WTO Tourism 2020 Vision: Forecast of Inbound Tourism, World by Regions 

International Tourist Arrivals by Tourist Receiving Region (million) 

Base Forecasts Average Market Share % 

Year 

Annual 

Growth 

Rate 

1995 2010 2020 1995-2020 1995 2020 

Total 565.4 1,006 1,561 4.1 100 100 

Africa 20.2 47 77 5.5 3.6 5.0 

Americas 108.9 190 282 3.9 19.3 18.1 

East Asia/Pacific 81.4 195 397 6.5 14.4 25.4 

Europe 338.4 527 717 3.0 59.8 45.9 

Middle East 12.4 36 69 7.1 2.2 4.4 

South Asia 4.2 11 19 6.2 0.7 1.2 

Intraregional (a) 464.1 791 1,183 3.8 82.1 75.8 

Long-Haul (b) 101.3 216 378 5.4 17.9 24.2 

(Source: World Tourism Organization (WTO), 2001 - (Actual data as in WTO database, July 2000)) 

These volumes represent an overall average annual rate of growth in the period 1995-2020 of 4.1%, 

with the only slackening of growth rate between 1995 and 2000 as a consequence of the Asian 

financial crisis (ie, 1995-2000 3.4% per year; 2000-2010 4.2% per year; 2010-2020 4.5% per year) 

(WTO, 2001). 

Profile of the Asia-Pacific Region 

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) has 21 members - referred to as "Member 

Economies" - which account for approximately 40% of the world's population, approximately 56% of 

world GDP and about 48% of world trade (APEC, 2006). APEC recognizes tourism as a major futureoriented 

service sector. 


There is a broad range of economic performance and growth potential across the APEC economies. 

Table 3 provides an overview of current economic indicators for APEC members. 

Member Economy and Year 

Joined 

Table 3: Economic Indicators of the APEC Members 

Area 

('000 sq 

km) 

Population 

(million) 

GDP 

(US$bn) 

GDP per 

capita (US$) 

Exports 

(US$m) 

Imports 

(US$m) 

Australia (1989) 7,692 20.2 692.4 33,629 86,551 103,863 

Brunei Darussalam (1989) 6 0.4 5.7 15,764 4,713 1,638 

Canada (1989) 9,971 32.0 1,084.1 33,648 315,858 271,869 

Chile (1994) 757 15.4 105.8 6,807 32,548 24,769 

China (1991) 9,561 1,299.8 1,851.2 1,416 593,647 560,811 

Hong Kong, China (1991) 1 6.9 174.0 25,006 265,763 273,361 

Indonesia (1989) 1,905 223.8 280.9 1,237 71,585 46,525 

Japan (1989) 378 127.3 4,694.3 36,841 566,191 455,661 

Korea (1989) 99 48.2 819.2 16,897 253,845 224,463 

Malaysia (1989) 330 25.5 129.4 4,989 125,857 105,297 

Mexico (1993) 1,958 105.0 734.9 6,920 177,095 171,714 

New Zealand (1989) 271 4.1 108.7 26,373 20,334 21,716 

Papua New Guinea (1993) 463 5.9 3.5 585 4,321 1,463 

Peru (1998) 1,285 27.5 78.2 2,798 12,111 8,872 

The Philippines (1989) 300 86.2 95.6 1,088 39,588 40,297 

The Russian Federation (1998) 17,075 144.0 719.2 5,015 171,431 86,593 

Singapore (1989) 1 4.2 116.3 27,180 179,755 163,982 

Chinese Taipei (1991) 36 22.5 335.2 14,857 174,350 168,715 

Thailand (1989) 513 64.6 178.1 2,736 97,098 95,197 

The United States (1989) 9,364 293.0 12,365.9 41,815 818,775 1,469,704 

Viet Nam (1998) 332 82.6 51.0 610 26,061 32,734 

(Area; Population; Current price GDP; Current GDP Source: Economic Fact Sheets, 

http://www.dfat.gov.au/geo/fs. Exports and Imports 

Source: The APEC Region Trade and Investment, 2005) 

The Importance of Tourism 

Tourism is one of the driving forces of economic development in industrialized, less-developed and 

developing countries. The travel and tourism industry contributes substantially to: 

• strong economic growth, 

• creation of skilled and semi-skilled jobs, 

• greater export returns, 

• foreign investments and currencies, and 

• economic well-being and social stability. 

Travel and tourism is one of the world’s largest industries and generators of jobs. The tourism 

industry is labour intensive and provides a wide range of employment opportunities, especially for 

women and young people, helping to break the vicious cycle of poverty by enhancing human capital 


and creating new prospects for future generations. The jobs are spread across a wide range of 

industries and comprise a broad range of remuneration levels. The development of small and 

medium size enterprises creates work for unskilled and skilled workers in existing centres and rural 

areas. Visitors’ expenditure in a destination flows directly to industries that serve visitors and 

indirectly to the many other businesses that supply goods and services to these tourism businesses. 

In this way, the benefits from visitors’ expenditure flow right through local, regional, state/provincial 

and national economies and throughout communities. 

Tourism Industry Contribution to World and APEC Economies 

The rate of industry growth in the last few decades and the scale of tourist movements have not only 

created a major industry, they have created a massive logistical framework of transport networks, 

gateways, infrastructure, accommodation and services capable of moving large numbers with 

minimum delays and great efficiency. 

According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), tourism and travel in the APEC region 

currently accounts for: 

• More than 100 million employed; by 2010 employment in travel and tourism in the APEC 

region will increase by more than 25% creating an additional 30 million new jobs; 

• Over US$2 trillion in travel and tourism-related demand; total tourism and travel demand in 

2010 is expected to exceed US$3 trillion; 

• Approximately US$400 billion in export earnings which will increase by almost 66% by 2010; 

and 

• One-quarter of world international visitor arrivals and more than one-third of global 

international visitor expenditure. 

Source: in APEC Tourism Working Group, 2006 

The influence of the tourism and travel sector on each country’s economy varies across the APEC 

nations (Figure 2). For example, in New Zealand tourism contributes 15% to GDP while in Chinese 

Taipei this sector accounts for just 4.1% of total GDP. 


Figure 2: The Contribution of the Travel and Tourism Sector to APEC Economies’ GDP 

(Percent of Total GDP) 

Australia 

Brunei Darussalam 

Canada 

Chile 

China 

Hong Kong, China 

In don esia 

Japan 

T&T Econom y GDP 

T&T Industry GDP 

Korea, Republic of 

Malaysia 

Mexico 

New Zealand 

Papua New Guinea 

Peru 

Philippines 

Form er Soviet Union 

Singapore 

Chinese Taipei 

T hailand 

United States 

Vietnam 

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 

(Source: WTTC, 2002) 

Another economic indicator of the contribution of tourism to a country’s economy is receipt values, 

which indicate revenue gained from tourism. A country may have a higher receipt value than the 

number of arrivals, which indicates that the tourist market of that destination accumulates significant 

revenue from tourism. Ten members of the APEC economies (Australia, Chinese Taipei (Taiwan), 

Indonesia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Singapore and 

The United States) generate relatively higher receipts than number of arrivals (Figure 3). These 

economies generate about two-thirds of all receipts in the APEC region by attracting only one-third of 

tourist arrivals. This uneven distribution of receipts and arrivals illustrates why it is important to 

develop destinations in a manner which facilitates the accumulation of revenue from tourism. 


Figure 3: Comparison of Receipts and Arrivals 

45.00 

40.00 

35.00 

% of total APEC region 

30.00 

25.00 

20.00 

15.00 

Receipts 

Arrivals 

10.00 

5.00 

0.00 

Australia 


Canada 

Chile 

China 

Chinese Taipei (Taiwan) 

Hong Kong, China 

Indonesia 

Japan 

Malaysia 

Mexico 

New Zealand 


Peru 

Philippines 

Republic of Korea 

Russian Federation 

Singapore 

Thailand 

United States 

Viet Nam 

(Source: Prepared by APEC) 

Recent Tourism Performance Worldwide 

The economic health of tourism is influenced by the same economic cycles which affect all countries 

across the world. Figure 4 represents total international inbound tourist arrivals for the period from 

1995 to 2005. 

Figure 4: World Inbound Tourism 1995-2005 


As can been seen in the above graph, international tourism arrivals experienced steady growth from 

1995 to 2000. This growth halted in 2001 and did not pick up again until 2004. In this period the world 

tourism industry suffered some severe losses as a result of a series of major international events. 

Outlined below is a brief overview of selected major events which have collectively influenced the 

performance of the tourism industry in the region over the past five years. 

• September 11 terrorist attacks in the USA resulted in an economic downturn affecting all 

major economies simultaneously. This event triggered business and consumer uncertainty 

and shifts in demand. Falls in tourist arrivals in 2001 for the Asia-Pacific Region included a 

21% fall in Chinese Taipei and 10% in Singapore (APEC Tourism Working Group, 2001). 

While the region’s tourism industry began to experience a recovery in early 2002 this recovery 

was very gradual and patchy throughout the APEC region. 

• SARS virus outbreaks in 2003 had the effect of hampering economic growth following a 

heightened state of uncertainty across the region. This has been closely linked to the 

unexpected drop of 12 million arrivals (-9%) in the Asia-Pacific Region. According to the 

WTTC (2003), research shows a 15% loss of business in Viet Nam for 2003, 43% in 

Singapore, 41% in Hong Kong, China and 25% in China as a result of SARS. A total of 2.9 

million jobs were lost. As a result of these occurrences in 2003, international tourism arrivals 

fell 1.2% for that year, the biggest ever annual drop. 

• Indian Ocean Tsunami December 2004 caused devastating effects for some Asian Pacific 

countries and their tourism industries. This resulted in a dramatic drop in international 

visitation and hotel occupancy in affected countries. Figure 5 provides a snapshot of the 

impact of this event on international tourism arrivals to Phuket, Thailand. 

Figure 5: International Tourism Arrivals to Phuket 

(Source: UNWTO, 2005) 

While most economies in Asia and the Pacific reported a growth in tourist arrival rates in January and 

February of 2003, this trend abruptly ended after March 2003 with the emergence of SARS and the 

Iraq conflict. The impact of these two events on tourism in this region was widespread. For example 

economies such as Japan, Korea, Australia, Thailand, Indonesia and The Philippines, experienced a 

10 to 50 percent decline in tourist arrivals even though they were not directly affected by these 

events. These events highlighted the interdependency which exists between regions. For example, 

many countries depend on the major air travel hub of Singapore which was severely crippled by the 

SARS outbreak. Figure 6 provides an indication of the impact of these events on specific economies 

from 2002 to 2003. 


25 

Figure 6: International Tourist Arrivals by Country of Destination 2003 

% change 2002/2001 

15 

5 

-5 

Australia China Hong Kong 

(China) 

Indonesia Japan Korea, 

Republic of 

Malaysia 

New 

Zealand 

Philippines 

Singapore Chinese 

Taipei 

Thailand 

-15 

2003 to date 

-25 

-35 

(Source: UNWTO, 2003) 

The following case study outlines the economic impact of SARS in Malaysia. 

The Economic Impact of SARS in Malaysia 

The first known case of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) occurred in Foshan city, 

Guangdong Province, China on 16 November 2002. SARS is a severe and readily transmissible 

disease to emerge in the 21st century. Though much about the disease remains poorly understood, 

SARS showed a clear capacity to spread along the routes of international air travel. The outbreaks 

of greatest concern were concentrated in transportation hubs or spreading in densely populated 

areas. The World Health Organization (WHO) regarded every country with an international airport 

as at potential risk of an outbreak. There were 8,100 cases worldwide with 916 people dying from 

SARS. 

Despite the small number of reported cases and deaths, SARS had a major economic impact on 

the travel industry around the world. The economic consequences for Malaysia – with only five 

reported cases - were significant considering heavy reliance on intraregional trade and tourist 

arrivals from East Asia. Malaysia’s tourism industry, the second largest foreign exchange earner 

after manufacturing, was hit badly by SARS. Tourism, which contributed about 7.8% of GDP in 

2002, was affected significantly, as reflected in the increase in cancellations of travel and hotel 

bookings. According to the Malaysia National Economic Action Council, tourism arrivals dropped 

30% and hotel occupancy countrywide fell to 30 ~ 50% year on year, by the end of April 2003 (Asia 

Recovery Information Centre, 2003). During the same period, airline bookings were reportedly down 

by 40% (Asia Recovery Information Centre, 2003). 

On 21 May 2003, the Malaysian Government released an economic package to sustain economic 

growth under the title “New Strategies Towards Stimulating the Nation’s Economic Growth”. It 


included 13 measures providing assistance to the economic sectors hardest hit by SARS, such as 

tourism and transport. These measures were part of a more comprehensive package for promoting 

private sector investment and international competitiveness and strengthening domestic demand. 

The package contained a federal budgetary allocation of RM7.3 billion (US$1.9 billion), or 2% of 

GDP, to stimulate the economy through public spending and reduced taxes. 

‘Tourism Promotion’ was focused on markets not hit by the SARS outbreak such as the West Asian 

nations. The six-day tourism campaign jointly organized by the Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board 

(Tourism Malaysia) and Malaysia Airlines, was aimed at potential travellers from Kuwait, Bahrain, 

Qatar and Oman (Husain, 2003). The Culture, Arts and Tourism Ministry allocated RM900 million 

(US$237 million) to revive the local tourism industry, which had been badly affected by the ongoing 

global crisis (The Culture, Arts and Tourism Ministry, 2003). According to the Ministry, RM400 

million (US$105 million) would be used for the Special Tourism Fund and RM500 million (US$132 

million) was used for the Tourism Infrastructure Fund. 

(Source: AICST, 2004: Based on materials provided from the University of Hawaii) 

The UNWTO (2005) reported that in 2004 tourism saw a full recovery in Asia and the Pacific. The 

region achieved growth of 28%, receiving an estimated volume of 153 million tourist arrivals. 

International tourist arrivals to North-East Asia grew by 30% with major SARS-affected destinations 

fully recovering the losses of 2003 in terms of both arrivals and tourism receipts. Figure 7 below 

shows a comparison of tourist arrivals and receipts in the Asia and Pacific Region for 2003 to 2004. 

Figure 7: Tourist Arrivals and Receipts in Asia and the Pacific 

(Source: UNWTO, 2005b) 

Years 2005 to 2006 have seen continuing growth for many Asian and Pacific countries. Indonesia 

has experienced a 10.2% decline in tourist arrivals which could be directly linked to terrorist 

bombings in October 2005 (see case study in Chapter 3). Table 4 (PATA, 2006) provides 

international inbound arrivals and growth for 33 countries in the Asia-Pacific region for 2005 to 2006: 


Table 4: International Inbound Arrivals and Growth for 2005 to 2006 

Country/Destination Period Year % Change 

2005 2006 

Top tier: >10% growth year-on-year 

Maldives Jan-May 138,903 264,613 90.5 

Lao PDR Jan-Feb 158,859 221,743 39.6 

Thailand (Air arrivals at Don Muang Airport-BKK) Jan-Mar 1,981,656 2,564,229 29.4 

Sri Lanka Jan-Apr 167,511 209,312 25.0 

Cambodia Jan-Apr 504,889 600,374 18.9 

Macau SAR Jan-Mar 4,457,022 5,248,018 17.7 

Singapore Jan-Apr 2,728,388 3,128,055 14.6 

India Jan-Apr 1,403,234 1,605,773 14.4 

Philippines Jan-Apr 852,583 965,853 13.3 

Hong Kong SAR Jan-Apr 7,413,380 8,353,504 12.7 

Vietnam Jan-May 1,413,098 1,582,009 12.0 

Middle tier: >5%-10% growth 

Japan Jan-Apr 2,177,786 2,378,502 9.2 

Nepal Jan-May 92,865 100,151 7.8 

Chinese Taipei Jan-Mar 799,874 859,884 7.5 

Third tier: 0%-5% growth 

Malaysia Jan-Feb 2,740,582 2,838,282 3.6 

Cook Islands Jan-Apr 23,390 24,129 3.2 

Guam Jan-Apr 416,461 427,577 2.7 

Hawaii (Air) Jan-Apr 2,341,727 2,390,312 2.1 

China (PRC) Jan-Mar 28,216,763 28,732,813 1.8 

New Zealand Jan-Apr 908,861 921,599 1.4 

USA Jan-Mar 9,008,381 9,049,087 0.5 

Fourth tier: Negative growth 

Australia Jan-Apr 1,878,282 1,868,953 -0.5 

Korea (ROK) Jan-Apr 1,966,342 1,935,966 -1.5 

Tahiti Jan-Mar 46,860 45,146 -3.7 

Mexico Jan-Mar 5,795,420 5,520,610 -4.7 

Papua New Guinea Jan-Mar 16,557 15,754 -4.8 

New Caledonia Jan-Feb 15,954 14,916 -6.5 

Canada Jan-Mar 2,723,720 2,544,597 -6.6 

Indonesia (13 ports of entry) Jan-Apr 1,337,310 1,201,344 -10.2 

Palau Jan-Jan 8,581 7,050 -17.8 

Northern Marianas Jan-Apr 179,093 145,477 -18.8 

Marshall Islands Jan-Apr 2,068 1,422 -31.2 

Kiribati Jan-Mar 538 334 -37.9 

We need to ensure that the tourism industry is prepared as best it can be for future crises and 

disasters to minimize the negative impact on the tourism industry and maximize opportunities for 

tourism growth. 

Chapter Summary 

This chapter demonstrates the diversity of the APEC and world economies in terms of tourism 

performance and potential. Given that tourism is among the leading export sectors of goods and 


services in each economy, it is essential that the right conditions exist to support the future growth of 

this sector. 

The value and importance of tourism was illustrated through facts and figures on how tourism 

generates income, creates and sustains jobs, encourages foreign investment and facilitates trade 

opportunities. Drawing attention to tourism’s substantial economic contribution is important in order to 

gain the support of key government decision makers, who in turn will help ensure the industry is 

protected from various threats. These potential threats are discussed in the following chapter. 

Although recent years have been difficult for many of the world’s economies, the long-term outlook in 

travel and tourism is positive. One of the lessons from the past three years is that some destinations 

were much better prepared than others to respond and adapt quickly to possible shocks and threats 

to the tourism industry. The intention of this report is to show how all tourism destinations can be 

better prepared to manage risks to tourism in the future. 

Chapter 2 now considers the key elements of disasters and their effects upon communities and offers 

a practical framework for working through the risk management process. 

References 

APEC International Centre for Sustainable Tourism (AICST) 2004, ‘Tourism Risk Management in the 

Asia Pacific Region’, APEC 

APEC 2006, ‘About APEC’, [online] http://www.apec.org/content/apec/about_apec.html, accessed 23 

August 2006 

APEC 2005, ‘The APEC Region Trade and Investment’, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade 

Australia, [online] www.dfat.gov.au/publications/stats-pubs/APEC-2005-analysis.pdf, accessed 23 

August 2006 

APEC Tourism Working Group 2006, ‘Tourism Working Group’, [online] 

http://www.apecsec.org.sg/apec/apec_groups/working_groups/tourism.html, accessed 15 September 

2006 

APEC Tourism Working Group 2001, ‘Statement on the Impact of Tourism of the September 11 

Terrorist Attacks in the United States’, APEC 

Asia Recovery Information Centre 2003, ‘Malaysia: Rapid Country Assessment of the Impact of 

SARS’. In SARS Watch, [online] http://aric.adb.org/infocus/sars/SARSImpact_Malaysia.pdf, 

accessed August 2003 

Husain, S. 2003, ‘Malaysia’s Tourism promotion in West Asia Allays Fears of SARS’, Malaysian 

National News Agency 

Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) 2003, ‘Crisis. It Won’t Happen to Us!’, PATA, Bangkok 

Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) 2006, ‘Travel Statistics: as at June 14 2006’, [online] 

http://www.pata.org/patasite/index.php?id=111, accessed 23 August 2006 

The Culture, Arts and Tourism Ministry 2 July 2003, ‘RM900m allocated by ministry to revive local 

tourism industry’, [online] http://www.mocat.gov.my/index.cfm, accessed July 2003 

Tourism Malaysia 30 April 2003, ‘SARS cases in Malaysia’, [online] 

http://www.visitmalaysia.nl/persbericht.htm, accessed June 2003 


World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) 2005, ‘Post Tsunami Re-Assessment: Growing Demand, 

Limited Supply’, [online] www.world-tourism.org/tsunami/reports/reassessment.pdf, accessed 23 

August 2006 

World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) 2005b, ‘Tourism Highlights 2005 Edition’, [online] facts and 

figures section at www.world-tourism.org, accessed 23 August 2006 

World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) 2003, ‘WTO - World Tourism Barometer’, [online] 

http://www.worldtourism.org/market_research/WTOBarom03_1.pdf, accessed 30 June 2003 

World Tourism Organization (WTO) 2001, ‘Tourism 2020 Vision: Volume 7: Global Forecasts and 

Profiles of Market Segments’, WTO 

World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) 2006, ‘World Travel & Tourism Climbing to New Heights – 

The 2006 Travel & Tourism Economic Research’, [online] www.wttc.org, accessed 23 August 2006 

World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) 2002, ‘APEC: The Impact of Travel & Tourism on Jobs & 

the Economy’, [online] www.apecsec.org.sg/apec/apec_groups/working_groups/tourism.html, 

accessed 15 September 2006 


CHAPTER 2: RISK MANAGEMENT FOR TOURISM CRISES AND 

DISASTERS 


The aim of this chapter is to provide background on the formal government disaster management 

processes for communities and to identify and examine issues of risk management which are 

relevant to the tourism industry and tourism operators. 

In this manual, risk management is concerned with identifying and analysing the risks (the chance of 

something happening) to an organization or community and deciding what can or should be done to 

address these risks. An official definition of risk management is: ‘the culture, processes and 

structures that are directed towards realizing potential opportunities whilst managing adverse effects’ 

(Australian Standards Association/New Zealand Standards Association, 1995). 

Risk management in the tourism context refers to the planning and implementation of processes 

directed towards managing the adverse effects of crises and disasters on tourism. It also addresses 

tourism’s potential opportunities for the improvement in systems and procedures. This chapter 

addresses risk management for tourism destinations and individual tourism businesses and 

organizations. 

Introduction 

The Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre in Bangkok defines disaster as: ‘the serious disruption of 

the functioning of society causing widespread human, material, or environmental losses which 

exceed the ability of the affected communities to cope using their own resources’. In Carter’s manual 

for disaster managers funded by the Asian Development Bank, disaster is defined as: ‘an event; 

natural or man-made, sudden or progressive, which impacts with such severity that the affected 

community has to respond by taking exceptional measures’ (Carter, 1992). The World Health 

Organization’s definition of disaster is: ‘any occurrence that causes damage, economic disruption, 

loss of human life and deterioration in health and health services on a scale sufficient to warrant an 

extraordinary response from outside the affected area or community’. 

The common thread in these and other definitions of disaster is that there is disruption to the 

community which is of such magnitude that responding organizations, infrastructure and resources 

are overwhelmed, and there is an inability to return to normal without external assistance. 

For disaster management purposes, an appropriate and practical definition is one which recognizes 

the severity of the effects of a disaster, its impact upon a community, and the required level of 

response. In the Australian Emergency Management Glossary (EMA, 2006) disaster is defined as: ‘a 

serious disruption to community life which threatens or causes death or injury in that community 

and/or damage to property which is beyond the day-to-day capacity of the prescribed statutory 

authorities and which requires special mobilization and organization of resources other than those 

normally available to those authorities’. 

Regardless of the definition used, it is important to realize that disasters are different in kind and in 

scope from day-to-day emergency incidents. Disasters are not simply bigger events; they have a 

significant impact upon people and their infrastructure and community resources; they inevitably 

overwhelm the capacity of the community and the resources and facilities available for management 

of the immediate response, and they produce long-term problems of restoration and rehabilitation. 

Disasters are not over when the flood waters have receded, when the injured have been treated, or 

the bodies cleared away. The community has to be put back together: and the community includes 

the people, their infrastructure, and resources. 


A disaster requires a total community response. One way or another, everyone is affected by a 

disaster and by the changes the event causes: to the economy, through the destruction of jobs and 

businesses; to community infrastructure, through destruction of the resources which the community 

usually depends upon; or to the social networks and structure, through death and injury. 

Disasters also require an integrated disaster management system: an active partnership between 

governments and authorities, organizations, agencies and the community. Although the tourism 

industry has rarely been a formal partner in these processes in the past, it is recommended that 

tourism should be a significant element within integrated community disaster management systems 

in the future. 

This chapter provides a practical framework within which tourism operators and tourism-related 

government agencies can address risk management processes for individual businesses, 

organizations and tourism destinations. 

Disasters and Tourism 

The tourism industry is not responsible for the development or implementation of disaster 

management plans and arrangements: community disaster management agencies are responsible 

for them. Where possible, though, the tourism industry should participate in disaster planning and 

management activities through appropriate local, regional or national committees. Such participation 

enables the importance of tourism to be drawn to the attention of disaster management agencies and 

promotes the need for appropriate measures to protect visitors to be considered and developed. 

In this way, tourism operators and destinations can be proactive and potentially reduce the effects of 

disasters upon their industry. Importantly, the particular needs of tourism, including visitors and visitor 

markets, can be addressed in the planning processes. 

Crisis Management 

Crisis is defined as: ‘any situation that has the potential to affect long-term confidence in an organization 

or a product, or which may interfere with its ability to continue operating normally’ (PATA, 2003). Crisis 

management is used in this guide as the term which applies to the means by which a tourism 

business/organization or destination prepares for, responds to, and recovers from, a crisis. 

Crises for tourism operators and destinations may arise from internal (organizational) sources or from 

external events (community events such as the impact or threat of a disaster). Some of the case 

studies in this guide highlight the crises faced by tourism businesses/organizations and destinations 

as a result of community disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and the Bali Bombings. In both cases, 

the community disaster affected confidence in tourism and interfered with its ability to continue normal 

operations. 

The Role of the Tourism Industry in Risk Management 

There are two fundamental roles for tourism in risk management: the first of these is as a partner with 

government and community agencies in the development of multi-agency, coordinated disaster 

management plans, systems, procedures and processes which include the needs of tourism; the 

second is to develop plans and procedures appropriate to a destination and to the specific roles and 

responsibilities of an organization, to train personnel to those plans, and to conduct regular tests of 

plans, procedures and personnel with subsequent amendment and updating. 

No organization involved in disaster management should work in isolation. Each tourism operator 

and organization is part of the disaster management community and should function within the 


established, coordinated and integrated system. The development of effective plans and procedures 

in the disaster management context is dependent upon: 

• regular inter-agency meetings, networking and liaison; 

• implementation of a disaster risk management process; 

• development of plans and procedures; 

• establishment and nurturing of partnerships; 

• community consultation; 

• effective communication; 

• training of personnel; 

• testing of plans, procedures and personnel through exercises (simulated disaster activities); 

and 

• efficient review and amendment procedures. 

The disaster management system in each country will have allocated roles and responsibilities for 

the management of disasters. It is not the responsibility of the tourism industry to assign these 

responsibilities or to allocate tasks to disaster management agencies. Rather, they should work 

within the established framework to add value to the overall outcomes. 

Different sections of the tourism industry will have different responsibilities in disaster management, 

and will need to liaise at different levels of the disaster management system. National or 

state/provincial-level tourism authorities, for example, should participate through membership of 

appropriate committees, in national and state/provincial-level disaster risk management processes, 

contributing to the development of policy and strategic planning processes. An individual tourism 

operator should contribute, again through appropriate committees, to local-level disaster 

management processes, including the development of response and recovery plans for the 

community, and plans and procedures for tourism facilities (eg, building evacuation plans). At all 

levels, disaster management is a multi-agency system. 

The second fundamental role for tourism in risk management is to be proactive and develop 

strategies for a destination or an individual business/organization to maximize the potential for 

continuity of normal business and to protect the safety and security of visitors and staff in the event of 

a disaster or crisis. 

The development and implementation of tourism risk management strategies which comprehensively 

address potential risks to tourism are now becoming an integral part of managing tourism in 

destinations. These tourism risk management strategies should link to community disaster 

management plans and include actions which tourism operators and organizations can take to 

complement the work of community disaster management agencies. 

Risk management plans for tourism should provide, as appropriate and as a minimum, for: 

• the safety of visitors and employees; 

• secure systems to communicate with all persons within the facility and within the destination; 

• security of buildings, facilities and equipment from the effects of the disaster; 

• contributing trained liaison personnel to the disaster management agencies during response 

and recovery operations, as required; 

• supplying resources to support response and recovery operations; and 

• procedures for return to normal business activities upon termination of the disaster 

operations. 


Hazards (Sources of Risk) 

Hazards and risks are two different things. A hazard is a source of potential harm (to a community or 

an organization); while risk is defined as the chance of something happening that will have an impact 

upon objectives. There may be a high level of risk that a hazard will impact upon a community, for 

example, or a low level of risk (that is, chance) of the hazard impacting. Hazards are also referred to 

as sources of risk. 

Asia and the Pacific, along with the rest of the world, face a wide range of disasters and crises from a 

variety of hazards including those from: 

Natural hazards 

Technological hazards 

Biological hazards 

Civil/political hazards 

cyclone, storm surge, flood, tsunami, earthquake, mudslide, 

avalanche, volcanic eruption. 

failure of technical systems relating to industrial sites, 

transportation, infrastructure. 

spread of disease amongst people or animals, pests, 

contamination. 

terrorism, sabotage, civil unrest, hostage situations. 

Hazards are not in themselves disasters. Each hazard has the potential to impact upon a community 

and to cause loss or harm to the community or the environment. Even a hazard impact will not 

necessarily produce a disaster. If an earthquake, for example, were to occur in a remote and 

unpopulated area and cause no harm to people or damage to property or facilities, it would not be a 

disaster. 

The World Tourism Organization (2003) identifies risks to the safety and security of visitors, host 

communities and tourism employees from four sources: 

1. The Human and Institutional Environment 

These risks exist when visitors fall victim to: 

• common delinquency (theft, pickpocketing, assault, burglary, fraud, deception); 

• indiscriminate and targeted violence (such as rape) and harassment; 

• organized crime (extortion, the slave trade, coercion); 

• terrorism and unlawful interference (attacks against state institutions and the vital interests of 

the state), hijacking and hostage taking; 

• wars, social conflicts and political and religious unrest; and 

• a lack of public and institutional protection services. 


2. Tourism and Related Sectors 

Tourism and sectors related to tourism such as transport, sports and retail trade, can endanger 

visitors' personal security, physical integrity and economic interests through: 

• poor safety standards in tourism establishments (fire, construction errors, lack of anti-seismic 

protection); 

• poor sanitation and disrespect for environmental sustainability; 

• the absence of protection against unlawful interference, crime and delinquency at tourism 

facilities; 

• fraud in commercial transactions; 

• non-compliance with contracts; and 

• industrial disputes by staff. 

3. Individual Travellers 

Travellers or visitors can endanger their own safety and security, and those of their hosts by: 

• practicing dangerous sports and leisure activities, dangerous driving, and consuming unsafe 

food and drink; 

• travelling when in poor health, which deteriorates during the trip; 

• causing conflict and friction with local residents through inadequate behaviour towards the 

local communities or by breaking local laws; 

• carrying out illicit or criminal activities (eg, trafficking in illicit drugs); 

• visiting dangerous areas; and 

• losing personal effects, documents, money, etc, through carelessness. 

4. Physical and Environmental Risks 

Physical and environmental damage can occur if travellers: 

• are unaware of the natural characteristics of the destination, in particular its flora and fauna; 

• have not undertaken adequate medical preparations for the trip (vaccinations, prophylaxis); 

• do not take the necessary precautions when consuming food or drink or in their personal 

hygiene; and 

• are exposed to dangerous situations arising from the physical environment. 

Physical and environmental risks are also largely personal risks: the result of the traveller’s ignorance or 

his or her disregard for potential risks. In fact, overseas visitors are most likely to be injured in unfamiliar 

environments and while participating in unfamiliar activities (Page & Meyer, 1997). 

Despite these four identified sources of risk, the threat to physical safety has become the major 

concern for travellers since the events of 11 September 2001 (World Tourism Organization, 2003). 


The Nature of Disasters 

Some hazards are seasonal (for example, cyclones), but others are less predictable and could occur 

almost anywhere and at any time. Disasters differ greatly in their characteristics, and thus in their 

potential to affect destinations. 

When examining the nature of disasters, the following aspects have to be considered for each 

potential hazard: 

• Cause 

Is it natural, technological, biological, etc? 

• Frequency 

Is it a regular or seasonal event (eg, cyclone, floods) which can be anticipated? 

• Duration 

Will it have a limited duration such as an explosion, or be prolonged (inundation floods, 

epidemics)? 

For tourism this has significant implications for the care and well-being of visitors and employees. 

Disasters which can be of prolonged duration will, at the very least, require the development of 

contingency plans for the return of visitors to their homes. 

• Speed of onset 

Will it develop rapidly with little or no time for warnings to be issued (eg, aircraft crash), or 

gradually as in the case of floods (except flash floods), allowing time for warning and perhaps 

even for protective measures to be taken? 

Having time available to provide warnings and information and for measures to be undertaken for 

the protection of people will affect the public’s perception of the level of preparedness and the 

response capability of disaster management agencies within a destination. 

• Scope of impact 

Will the disaster have the capacity to affect only a section or sections of the community, or will it 

be diffused, affecting the entire community and causing widespread disruption to infrastructure, 

services and facilities? 

From a tourism perspective, will the disaster have the capacity to affect a single tourism operator 

or a whole destination, or might it have a worldwide impact upon the tourism sector, such as the 

September 11 bombing of the World Trade Centre in 2001? 

• Destructive potential 

Could it damage a single building, or all the homes and buildings, infrastructure and utilities in the 

entire community? What type of destruction (personal injury and/or property damage)? 

A hazard capable of destroying a community and its infrastructure will, again, necessitate the 

development of contingency plans for the relocation of visitors to a safer place with essential 

facilities, and for their return to their homes. 

Although the disaster management agencies will consider each of these factors from the perspective 

of the effects upon the community, the tourism industry should also consider each in terms of their 

potential effects upon tourism facilities, infrastructure and operations. Although the tourism industry 

should contribute to the community disaster management process, it is essential at each stage to 

identify the specific effects and implications for the tourism industry and operations. 


New Orleans and the Lessons of Hurricane Katrina 

New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, home of the Mardi Gras, jazz musicians, and an extensive heritage 

of art, culture and culinary delights. As a world-renowned visitor destination it attracted between 8.5 

million and 10 million visitors annually, and generated approximately 800,000 jobs. Tourism was the 

region’s second largest industry. 

On 29 August 2005, Category 5 Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans, causing widespread 

damage and breaches in the city’s levee system. As the Mississippi River flowed into the low-lying 

city, up to 80% of New Orleans became submerged. International media coverage exposed a global 

audience to images of death, destruction and mayhem. Despite warnings, evacuations were poorly 

planned and coordinated. Many visitors were transferred to shelters or simply advised to make 

arrangements to leave the area. Limited understanding and access to transport resulted in people 

staying in their homes. Last-minute evacuees blocked highways and fuel stations. City officials 

exercised limited control – few had anticipated an event of such severity, despite the lessons from a 

major disaster management exercise held twelve months earlier which was based upon a scenario 

involving issues which were an uncanny replica of Katrina. 

Initial search and rescue efforts were hindered by the continuing rising waters and accumulated 

debris as buildings, dwellings, infrastructure and utilities (public utilities/plant) had suffered massive 

damage. With limited reliable information available, media reports emphasized tragedy, social 

tension, looting and the chaotic plight of New Orleans, characterized by the horrors of the “Superdome” 

(which sheltered many visitors amongst the approximately 20,000 evacuees). Conditions 

deteriorated for survivors, and relief arrangements were complicated by access difficulties. 

Sanitation and the potential for disease outbreaks became serious issues. 

As officials debated the merits of rebuilding or relocating New Orleans, residents and volunteers 

returned to begin clean-up operations. While some operators managed to quickly resume or even 

maintain services, support infrastructure was limited. Hotels, airports, museums, entertainment and 

dining establishments had suffered extensive damage. Lacking housing and immediate employment 

opportunities, many employees relocated. Scheduled meetings, conferences and festivals were 

cancelled, relocated or indefinitely postponed. 

For small tourism businesses, recovery has so far proved extremely challenging. While the 

Government has assisted with debris removal, grants and advertising and marketing budgets, 

rebuilding the industry and positive perceptions has proved difficult. ‘Louisiana’s Rebirth’ was 

significantly delayed by an active hurricane season which made consumers wary. With the reopening 

of hotels, restaurants and parks, tourism is returning but visitor spending is limited. 

Physical reconstruction of the city is still far from complete, and many residents and business have 

not returned. While New Orleans remains an intriguing city, its restoration as a national and 

international visitor destination requires confidence in the process of community recovery and 

associated safety and security measures. 

Important lessons for the tourism industry from Katrina include: 

• risk and emergency management planning (including insurance) should be an individual 

business priority and not just a government responsibility; 

• it is important to understand community and environmental vulnerabilities beyond just the 

tourism industry; 

• communication and coordination with emergency management agencies can help protect 

life and property; 


• while physical damage may be inevitable, identification of vital resources and planning can 

help minimize losses; 

• all businesses should have evacuation procedures, catering for needs and demands of 

visitors and staff; 

• effective crisis communications should begin before an event and be maintained with timely 

and factual information from reliable sources; 

• the media and public need to be continually provided with accurate information; 

• physical recovery should include enhanced safety and security measures; and 

• tourism recovery is heavily dependent on successful community recovery. 

(Source: City of New Orleans, 2006 and BBC News, 2006) 

The Toll from Disasters in 2005 

Data from the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) in Geneva and the Centre for 

Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED) in Brussels reveal that there were 360 natural 

disasters in 2005 (up from 305 in 2004), and a total of 157 million people (an increase of 7 million 

from 2004) required assistance, were evacuated from their homes, were injured and/or lost their 

livelihoods. 

Disasters cost a total of $US159 billion in 2005 (a rise of 71% over 2004’s total), although it should 

be noted that losses caused by Hurricane Katrina in the United States accounted for a remarkable 

$US125 billion of that sum. 

Fortunately, the loss of life from disasters was lower in 2005 than in the previous year when 244,500 

people lost their lives in natural disasters. The numbers of deaths have been extraordinarily high for 

the past two years because of the Indian Ocean tsunami which accounted for 92% of the deaths from 

disasters in 2004, and the South Asian earthquake which resulted in 81% of the deaths in 2005. 

Tourism operators will be only too well aware that a disaster, or even the threat of a disaster such as 

an epidemic, has the potential to destroy the economy of a region or country. Disaster managers use 

the term ‘cascade effect’ to describe how a disaster can trigger a secondary event (eg, a mudslide 

following heavy rains and flooding). But the economic and social impacts of disasters upon 

communities, especially the most vulnerable developing nations, may produce severe, negative 

consequences across an entire country or region. 

The Risk Management Standard 

In 1995, the Australia/New Zealand Standard 4360-1995 Risk Management was published. 

Developed to provide a generic framework for organizations in the identification, analysis, 

assessment, treatment and monitoring of risk, the Standard enables organizations to manage risk, 

minimize losses and to maximize opportunities. 

The Standard was revised in 1999 and updated again in 2004. 

Adapting the Risk Management Standard to Disaster/Emergency Risk Management 

While it was clear that the A/NZS 4360-1995 Risk Management could be applied outside of an 

organizational context, the process of adapting this Standard for use in a disaster management 

context included addressing the following key issues: 


• the Risk Management Standard contains a process developed for single organizations and 

industries, but disaster management involves multiple organizations working within a 

community context; and 

• in industry terms, risk is measured in terms of the likelihood and consequence of a hazard 

impacting upon an organization, a rather mathematical approach especially suited to 

engineering; disaster management, however, sees risk as a function of hazard and the 

vulnerability of communities, more of a sociological approach. 

The Disaster Risk Management process was originally developed in Australia by Emergency 

Management Australia (EMA) and has since been further developed for other purposes. In the 

Pacific, for example, the Disaster Risk Management process has been adapted to meet local needs 

and is known as CHARM (Comprehensive Hazard and Risk Management); the Asian Disaster 

Preparedness Centre in Bangkok promotes its Community-Based Disaster Risk Management 

process (CBDRM) throughout South East Asia. 

The South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC, which includes Bangladesh, Bhutan, 

India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) has recently signed an agreement to adopt a 

Comprehensive Disaster Management Program framework, of which Community Risk Assessment 

(adapted from AS/NZS 4360:2004 Risk Management and the Disaster Risk Management process) is 

an integral part. 

The Role of the Tourism Industry in Risk Management and Disaster Risk Management 

In simple terms, the risk management and disaster risk management processes are concerned with 

identifying and analysing the risks (‘the chance of something happening that will have an impact upon 

objectives’) to an organization or the community, and deciding what can and should be done about 

them. They are logical and systematic problem-solving and decision-making processes. 

The tourism industry should be involved in both risk management (the organizational process) and 

disaster risk management (the multi-agency, community-based process). 

The tourism industry should use the risk management process to identify, analyse, evaluate, treat, 

monitor and review risks to businesses and organizations and to destinations as a whole. In the 

community disaster management context, tourism operators and industry representatives should, as 

stakeholders in the process, have significant input into the disaster risk management process, and 

contribute to the development and implementation of associated disaster management plans and 

systems, and training and testing regimes. 

The Tourism Risk Management Process 

In this guide, the generic risk management process has been adapted to be specific to the needs and 

context of tourism. The process has been developed for destinations, but the same principles also 

apply to a tourism business or organization undertaking a risk management process. 

The following diagram provides an overview of the risk management process which is based upon 

two enabling activities (communicate and consult, and monitor and review), and five major activities: 

establish the context, identify risks, analyse risks, evaluate risks and treat risks. 


Figure 8: Risk Management Process 

(Source: Emergency Management Australia, 2004) 

1. COMMUNICATE AND CONSULT 

Communication and consultation are enabling activities which are fundamental to risk management, 

and they must be undertaken at each step in the process. A two-way process of internal and external 

communication and consultation must be established and maintained between decision-makers and 

stakeholders and a communication plan developed. Stakeholders’ needs and opinions should be 

sought so that different views and areas of expertise are considered, so they understand the risks 

and the measures which will be taken, and so they contribute to the decision-making process. 

Adequate and appropriate communication and consultation will also ensure that stakeholders have a 

sense of ownership of, and commitment to, the tourism risk management process. It is essential to 

document all meetings and discussions with stakeholders. 

Stakeholders in the tourism destination context include: 

• politicians with an electoral or portfolio interest; 

• emergency services (police, fire, ambulance and other services); 

• tourism organizations and sectoral associations – at regional, state/provincial and national 

levels; 

• government officials; 

• hospital/medical personnel; 

• non-government organizations; 

• social welfare/recovery personnel; 

• owners/managers of at risk facilities; 

• experts/technical advisors; 


• industry representatives; 

• airport and port operators; 

• utilities operators (gas, electricity, water, etc); 

• community action/interest groups; and 

• media. 

2. MONITOR AND REVIEW 

Monitoring and reviewing are enabling activities which are essential so that continual improvements 

can be achieved and to ensure the currency and relevance of the tourism risk management process. 

Risk doesn’t remain static, so it's essential that tourism risk management is an ongoing process with 

regular monitoring and review of hazards, elements at risk, and the progress, outcomes and efficacy 

of risk treatment measures. Systematic monitoring and review systems should be developed and 

maintained by: 

• establishing arrangements for monitoring, reviewing and documenting risks as part of the 

tourism risk management strategy; 

• developing a risk register computer database; 

• repeating the risk management cycle on a regular basis; 

• measuring progress and incorporating it into management performance measurement and 

reporting systems; 

• evaluating lessons from review processes and incorporating them into plans; and 

• amending plans and procedures as required. 

STEP 1 – Establish the Context 

This first step in the tourism risk management process is to establish the basic parameters or 

framework within which the risk management activities will take place, and to develop the criteria 

against which risk is to be evaluated. It includes identifying relevant policies, systems, procedures 

and intra-organizational and inter-organizational relationships. The organizational context includes 

the internal and external environment. 

1. Establish the basic parameters. Identify: 

• the nature and scope of issues to be addressed to ensure the safety of the destination; 

• relevant disaster/emergency management legislations, policies and management 

arrangements; 

• public health issues, occupational health and safety requirements and issues, and liabilities; 

and 

• relevant political, social, cultural and environmental factors. 

2. Identify stakeholders and their concerns, perceptions of risk, and values. 

3. Establish relevant community structures and arrangements. 

4. Develop risk evaluation criteria for the destination (in consultation with all stakeholders). 


Examples of risk criteria might include: 

• Any preventable disaster which causes damage to infrastructure or affects the continuity of 

normal tourism business is unacceptable. 

• Any preventable disaster which results in serious disruption to community utilities (power, 

water, sewerage, etc) is unacceptable. 

• Any preventable outbreak of disease or epidemic which causes illness or deaths in the 

community and to visitors is unacceptable. 

• Any preventable disaster which results in significant or long-term social disruption to the 

destination is unacceptable. 

• Any preventable accident to a visitor which results in loss of life is unacceptable. 

• Any preventable incident which affects the safety and security or confidence of visitors in the 

destination is unacceptable. 

Establishing the concerns and perceptions of risk within the destination is of paramount importance in 

establishing the context and developing risk evaluation criteria. 

Stakeholders should, as a result of consultation and communication, have a shared understanding of 

the process to be undertaken, its objectives and tasks, and the factors which might affect the 

process. Key information, meetings, decisions, outcomes and other relevant issues must be 

documented. 

STEP 2 – Identify Risks 

Step 2 in the risk management process is designed to identify the risks which are to be managed. A 

systematic process is necessary to ensure that all relevant risks are identified. Risk will change, so 

an important part of monitoring and review processes is to identify new risks which have emerged for 

a destination. 

It is also essential to identify the susceptibility (the potential to be affected by loss) and resilience (a 

measure of how quickly a system recovers from failure) of the destination. Part of the tourism risk 

management process is to reduce the level of susceptibility and increase the resilience of the 

destination. 

1. Gather information on hazards (sources of risk) from scientific data, disaster management 

sources, records of past events, consultation with stakeholders and experts. Develop a list of all 

hazards. 

2. Identify each hazard against descriptors (duration, scope of impact, etc). (See earlier section of 

this chapter titled, The Nature of Disaster.) 

3. Describe the elements at risk: who or what will be affected by each of the hazards. These 

elements include: 

• people; 

• environment; 

• facilities; 

• infrastructure; 

• utilities; and 

• economy. 


Example of Elements at Risk for a Destination 

Sources of risk 

Elements at Risk 

(hazards) people environment utilities infrastructure 

Tsunami 

Epidemic x x 

Earthquake 

Crime against visitors x x x 

Riot x 

4. Identify the risk relationship. Review each hazard and the elements at risk and identify if there is a 

relationship between them. If so, establish the reason for the relationship. 

Develop risk statements for each of the relationships identified. Examples: 

• There is a risk that flooding within the town will inundate the X visitor hotel. 

• There is a risk that in the event of bad weather there could be an aircraft crash with loss of 

many lives including visitors. 

These risk statements will be used as a tool for analysis and evaluation. 

Source of risk Element at risk Relationship (example) 

Flood Visitor hotel Inappropriate siting of building on known flood 

plain. 

Aircraft crash People, infrastructure Inadequate all-weather navigation aids at 

airport. 

STEP 3 – Analyse Risks 

The purpose of analysing risks is to develop an understanding of the risks the destination is facing. 

This understanding will assist in the decision-making on which risks need to be treated and in 

identifying the best risk treatment strategies to apply. The step includes analysing the likelihood and 

consequences of risks, and also the existing control measures. 

1. Identify existing control measures and assess their effectiveness in minimizing likelihood and 

consequences. 

Examples of existing control measures for flood might include: 

• Flood plain management systems; 

• Evacuation plans; 

• Warning systems; 

• Emergency services units trained and equipped for flood rescue tasks; 

• Municipal response and recovery plans; 

• Annual exercises (tests) of plans and personnel; and 

• Public education program. 

2. Establish forms of qualitative and quantitative analysis. 


• Qualitative analysis – words are used to describe the magnitude of potential 

consequences and of the likelihood that those consequences will occur. 

• Quantitative analysis – uses numerical values for likelihood and consequences. 

Example: Qualitative Measures of Consequence for Tourism Risk Management 

Level Descriptor Description 

1 Insignificant No disruption to destination; no disturbance of visitors; no 

financial loss; no media or public interest. 

2 Minor Minimal disruption to destination and visitors; limited or no 

financial loss; no media coverage or public interest. 

3 Moderate Short-term disruption to destination and services to visitors; some 

financial loss; limited media reporting. 

4 Major Disruption to destination and services to visitors for more than 24 

hours; financial losses, anger and frustration on the part of 

visitors; critical media reports and public criticism of destination. 

5 Catastrophic Unable to meet visitors’ requirements and provide normal service 

type and level; severe financial losses; widespread criticism of 

destination; critical international media reports; mass cancellation 

of bookings. 

Example: Qualitative Measures of Likelihood 

Level Descriptor Description 

A Almost certain Is expected to occur in most circumstances 

B Likely Will probably occur in most circumstances 

C Possible Might occur at some time 

D Unlikely Could occur at some time 

E Rare May occur only in exceptional circumstances 

Qualitative Risk Analysis Matrix – Level of Risk 

Consequences 

Likelihood Insignificant 

1 

Minor 

2 

Moderate 

3 

Major 

4 

Catastrophic 

5 

A (almost certain) H H E E E 

B (likely) M H H E E 

C (moderate) L M H E E 

D (unlikely) L L M H E 

E (rare) L L M H H 

Legend: 

E: Extreme risk; immediate action required 

H: High risk; senior management attention needed 

M: Moderate risk; management responsibility must be specified 

L: Low risk; manage by routine procedures 

Any risk which has the potential for catastrophic, major or moderate (negative) effects upon a 

destination and is almost certain to occur, must be acted upon as a matter of priority. At the opposite 

end of the priority list will be any risk which occurs only rarely, if at all, and has only little if any effect 

on destinations. No destination has infinite resources to apply to risk treatment measures, so it’s 

necessary to work out what must be done to protect the destination in priority order. One simple but 

effective way of categorizing these measures is into: 


1. Must do. 

2. Should do. 

3. Could do. 

STEP 4 – Evaluate Risks 

Decisions have to be made about which risks have to be treated and in what order. The previous 

activities in risk analysis will provide the information on which to make those decisions. Decisions on 

risk treatment needs and priorities must be aligned with the destination’s expectations, values and 

perceptions of risk. 

1. Establish treatment needs and priorities in descending order. Where the same rating level is 

allocated to a number of risks, the protection of life should be a higher priority than protection 

measures for property, infrastructure, utilities or the environment. 

2. Stakeholder consultation is essential. 

3. Document: 

• The risks which are not to be treated. 

• The risks which will be treated in order of priority. 

• How the decisions were arrived at. 

Always monitor and review risks that you decide not to treat because priorities and circumstances 

may change over time. 

STEP 5 – Treat Risks 

Before risks can be treated it is necessary to identify the options available, to assess the relative 

merits of each, and to select the most appropriate. Risk treatment plans should then be developed 

and implemented. 

Standard risk treatment options available include: 

• avoid the risk - choose not to proceed with an activity likely to generate risk; 

• reduce the likelihood of consequences by modifying the risk; 

• reduce the consequences of occurrence - by modifying susceptibility (exposure to the risk eg, 

through best practice systems: building evacuation plans, sprinkler systems and trained staff 

will reduce the consequences of fire in a visitor hotel) and/or increasing resilience (capacity to 

sustain losses); 

• transfer the risk – have another party accept or share the risk (eg, insurance companies – are 

the premiums affordable, is protection available?); 

• retain the risk - accept the risk and plan to manage the consequences (but only if the 

consequences are able to be managed without adversely affecting the destination or the 

perceptions of visitors); 


• prevention/mitigation – legislation, building codes, land use management, relocation of 

people/property (eg, from flood plains), engineering strategies (eg, using structural methods 

to reduce exposure to hazards, including levee banks); 

• preparedness – awareness and education programs, development of response and recovery 

plans, training and testing, development of visitor information, communication and warning 

systems, development of mutual aid arrangements between destinations; 

• response – implementation of plans and standard operating procedures, effective acquisition 

and application of resources to tasks, provision of accurate and timely warning and visitor 

information messages, search and rescue activities, personal protective equipment for 

response personnel; and 

• recovery – restoration of essential services and facilities and normal business in the 

destination, financial and psychosocial supports, temporary housing, collection and 

distribution of appeal funds. 

Some criteria for assessing which options are applicable include: 

• Is the option affordable? 

• Is it the most cost-effective? 

• Will it be endorsed by government? 

• Will it be accepted by stakeholders, including visitors? 

• Will it encourage further risk reduction measures by others? 

• Is it too complicated or difficult? 

• Will it provide long-term benefits? 

• Will the benefits be realized quickly? 

• Will it adversely affect the destination? 

• Should we be funding this or can/should other agencies or government share the cost? 

• Will this treatment option create new risks for the destination or the industry? 

Destinations need to consider a cost-benefit analysis for proposed treatment options to ensure that 

the treatment is realistic in economic terms. It may be that a tourism organization within the 

destination, the country, or from overseas could be approached to assist with resources to implement 

the risk treatment plan. Where the local or regional economy is heavily dependent upon the tourism 

industry, costs might be shared by community or government organizations. 

Risk treatment plan: 

The following steps must be addressed in the risk treatment plan: 

• Allocate responsibilities; 

• Identify timelines; 

• Decide methods of implementation; 

• Establish expected outcomes; 

• Source and allocate budget; 

• Identify key performance indicators and milestones; and 

• Establish monitoring and review processes. 


Establish and maintain regular monitoring and review of: 

• decisions and decision-making processes; 

• expectations and attitudes; 

• new sources of risk; 

• risk ratings and priorities of existing hazards; 

• allocation of risk ratings and priorities to newly identified hazards; 

• elements at risk; 

• implementation of existing risk treatment measures; 

• additional risk treatment measures to be implemented; 

• responsibilities for implementation; and 

• timelines for each stage and project completion. 

Continue communication and consultation with stakeholders on progress of risk treatment 

implementation. 

Residual risk 

Not all crises can be avoided or prevented. 

No matter how effective tourism risk management processes are, crises and disasters will still impact 

upon destinations and the tourism facilities within them. The tourism industry has learned to its 

considerable cost that even the possibility of a biological disaster (pandemic) is sufficient to cause a 

crisis in the industry. The Queensland Government, Australia (2002) has identified that certain events 

may trigger or magnify other factors; for example, increases in the cost of public liability insurance for 

tourism operators as a result of the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York. 

Residual risk is the term given to the risk remaining after the implementation of risk treatment 

measures. The treatment of residual risk is to develop plans to respond to and recover from crises 

and disasters. 

Tourism should develop risk management plans and also contribute to multi-agency community 

disaster plans. 


This chapter considers the key elements of crises and disasters and their effects upon 

businesses/organizations and destinations, and identifies the role of the tourism industry in risk 

management. The chapter provides a practical framework within which tourism destinations and 

businesses/organizations can identify, analyse, evaluate, treat, monitor and review risks and 

identifies the critical role of the tourism industry in contributing to the development and 

implementation of multi-agency disaster management plans and systems. 


The South Asia Tsunami and Recovery of Tourism in the Andaman 

On 26 December 2004 a massive undersea quake off the coast of Sumatra generated a series of 

overwhelming tsunami waves which battered the exposed coastal regions of 14 different countries 

bordering the Indian Ocean. With over 230,000 recognized fatalities and 1.7 million homeless; 

schools, hospitals, businesses, infrastructure and entire villages were effectively washed away. In 

Thailand, Maldives, India and Sri Lanka many of the areas affected also corresponded with tropical 

sun, surf and sand destinations experiencing the apex of Christmas vacations and high tourist 

season. Given the large number of foreign casualties, media attention and visibility afforded by 

abundant video footage and photos, the world was inundated with images of the tsunami, death and 

complete destruction. 

While it may never be possible to accurately assess the full socioeconomic cost of this disaster 

based on the number of popular destinations impacted, damage experienced and unfortunate 

timing of the event, Francesco Frangialli of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has 

described this tsunami as "the greatest catastrophe ever recorded in the history of world tourism" 

(2006). Beyond the obvious and direct physical impacts, affected areas such as Southern Thailand 

have also been faced with the loss of their primary income and livelihoods - derived from tourism 

revenues. Amidst the immediate search, rescue and reconstruction efforts these destinations have 

been challenged with the predicament of managing a serious tourism crisis. 

The Event 

For the residents and tourists in Phuket and the Andaman region, the first natural sign of the 

impending tsunami was the earth tremors felt at 7:58am on Sunday 26 December 2004 

corresponding with the massive undersea quake in the Sunda Trench. Lacking a localized 

monitoring or warning system, experts at remote centres were slow to appreciate the possible 

danger that this quake signified. While it has since been acknowledged that a potential tsunami 

warning was issued to Thai Government officials approximately 15 minutes before the first waves 

impacted the local coastline, the region lacked the appreciation, understanding or communications 

network to effectively warn all of the at risk regions and communities. Preceding wave behaviour 

and subsequent height varied in accordance with differences in the local geography, however, as 

few were aware of the natural indicators, the tsunami impacted on a generally unsuspecting and 

unprepared population. In addition to the physical damage and accumulation of debris, human 

deaths from the six affected Thai provinces have been officially recorded as over 8,200 (this figure 

includes those reported missing). Reflecting the international popularity of the Thai beachside 

destinations and resorts, 2,436 were foreign nationals from 37 countries. 

Impacts and Response 

Like most destinations affected by the South Asian tsunami, the popular Andaman region of 

Southern Thailand experienced an immediate exodus of tourists. While actual numbers vary 

depending on proximity to the coast and damage suffered, the experience and uncertainty of the 

event was sufficient to generate continued concerns for personal safety and security. Occupancy 

rates in many functioning coastal resorts quickly dropped to single figures. Although the majority of 

the luxury resorts of Khao Lak, and along the east coast and isthmus of Phi Phi Don Island were 

effectively decimated, within 48 hours the regional tourism authority was able to publish an 

authoritative guide indicating that approximately 80% of accommodation providers within the region 

had suffered minimal or no physical damage. 

Experienced in a variety of human and natural disasters the Thai Department of Disaster Prevention 

and Mitigation were able to rapidly and effectively coordinate operational response efforts, despite 

the scope and breadth of the disaster. An Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) was established in 

the unaffected regional capital of Phuket City with intentional integration of emergency response, 

community and victims’ relief, media, communications, tourism, medical services and embassy 


epresentatives. While all initial enquiries were directed to this coordination centre, smaller centres 

were also established in hospitals and affected provinces. Volunteers assisted at the EOC, medical 

facilities and the airport, while accommodation and service providers donated food, shelter and 

support for victims and emergency responders. 

In the high profile tourist resort of Patong most utilities were restored within days and the beach was 

quickly cleared of debris. With rapid evacuations and an initial distribution of resources, issues of 

food, water and sanitation never became a real threat for tourists. Yet, as repetitive images and 

stories of the disaster continued to dominate the media, most of the world was left with the 

impression that the entire island of Phuket had been devastated and blanket travel advisories were 

implemented. Disease and health epidemics related to stagnant water bodies and unrecovered 

corpses were seen as probable risks to travellers. Despite the influx of trained personnel, finances, 

resources and medical aid from around the globe, it proved difficult to relay credible information. As 

response efforts moved from search and rescue endeavours to further medical assistance, victim 

identification, repatriation, trauma/grief support and initial damage assessments, few authorities 

seemed willing to comment on popular speculation regarding a subsequent tsunami. 

Local businesses, many of which lacked insurance, were left to consider future options and 

business viability. Where possible, stock was recovered, sold at discounted prices or restored to 

former condition. As hotels, buildings and resorts were fenced from public view and looting, debris 

accumulated in the street for removal by government and private-enterprise-sponsored contractors. 

While struggling with personal grief and loss, the community, all sectors of business, industry, and 

government worked together to restore the operational capacity and image of Patong and other less 

affected regional resorts. The national government offered official support and compensation for all 

direct victims. A conference hosted in Phuket by the World Tourism Organization and international 

industry experts developed the Phuket Action Plan to assist and guide the restoration of tourism 

throughout the affected regions 

Rebuilding and Recovery 

With occupancy rates recorded below 40% within the first nine months following the incident, 

recovery has strongly focused on emotional support, physical reconstruction, safety and greater 

tourism sustainability. A subsequent earthquake (yet no resultant tsunami) on 28 March 2005 was 

sufficient to demonstrate a residual fear regarding this hazard. Consistent with the United Nations 

resolution to develop an Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System, Thailand embarked on its own 

public warning system, complete with a string of coastal warning towers. With scheduled training 

evacuations, practice drills and improved local hazard awareness education, Thailand has strived to 

actively promote the message that it values the lives of both residents and tourists. 

Organized journalist trips and high profile celebrity visits have also been staged to emphasize a 

return to conditions of safety and security. Extensive recovery plans implemented between the 

government, community and industry have sought to address many of the medium- and long-term 

issues associated with both tourism development and the tsunami including; environmental 

encroachment, water quality monitoring, resource use, and the proximity of structures to the 

coastline. While international arrival figures over the first anniversary of the tsunami (coinciding with 

a traditional peak tourist season) were encouraging for most, they were short of the optimistic 

predictions of full industry recovery. 

Given the scale and severity of the disaster, the Andaman region has yet to fully recover 

economically yet, in terms of response and consumer confidence initiatives, this region has 

demonstrated relative success in its crisis management capacity. Awareness, local hazard 

education and communication may have been improved, however, all stakeholders have since 

become proactively involved in mitigation efforts and making the tourism product and destination 

more resilient to future adversity. 

(Source: Phuket Gazette, 2006; Wikipedia, 2006; and UNWTO, 2006) 


References 

Australian Standards Association/New Zealand Standards Association 1995, ‘AS/NZS 4360-1995 

Risk Management’ 

BBC News 30 August 2006, ‘Hurricane Katrina. In Depth’, [online] 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/americas/2005/hurricane_katrina/default.stm, accessed 2 

September 2006 

Carter, N. 1992, ‘Disaster Management: A Disaster Manager’s Handbook’, Asian Development Bank, 

Manila, Philippines (a companion document to Disaster Management in Asia and the Pacific 1991) 

City of New Orleans 2006, ‘Home Page’, [online] 

http://www.cityofno.com/portal.aspx?portal=1&tabid=1, accessed 2 September 2006 

Emergency Management Australia (EMA) 2006, ‘Australian Emergency Management Glossary’, 

[online] http://www.ema.gov.au/ema/emadisasters.nsf/webpages/Introduction?OpenDocument, 

accessed 18 September 2006 

Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) 2003, ‘Crisis. It Won’t Happen to Us!: Expect the Unexpected, 

Be Prepared’, [online] www.pata.org/patasite/fileadmin/docs/general/Crisis.pdf, accessed 18 


Page, S.J. & Meyer, D. 1997, ‘Injuries and accidents among international tourists in Australasia: 

scale, causes and solutions’. In: Clift, S. & Grabowski, P. (eds.), Tourism and Health: Risks, 

Research and Responses, 61-79. London: Pinter. 

Phuket Gazette 2006, ‘Phuket Gazette News Archives’, [online] http://www.phuketgazette.com/news/, 

(various articles 2004 – 2006) 

Wikipedia 2006, ‘2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake’, [online] 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Indian_Ocean_earthquake, accessed 27 August 2006 

World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) 2003, ‘Safety and Security in Tourism: Partnerships and 

Practical Guidelines for Destinations’, Madrid: UNWTO, in press 

World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) 2005, ‘Address by Francesco Frangialli, Secretary-General of 

the WTO at the opening of the emergency session of the Executive Council of the WTO’ (Phuket, 

Thailand, 1 February 2005), www.world-tourism.org/tsunami/Phuket/DiscoursSG-E.pdf , accessed 18 


World Tourism Organization 2006, ‘Tsunami Recovery Program’, [online] http://www.worldtourism.org/tsunami/eng.html, 

accessed 24 August 2006 


CHAPTER 3: NATIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES FOR RISK AND DISASTER 

MANAGEMENT 


The aim of this chapter is to examine the responsibilities of national governments in risk and disaster 

management, and to identify the structures and frameworks within which tourism operators and 

destinations can develop their own capacity to prepare for, respond to, and recover from, crises and 

disasters. 

Risk Management at the National Level 

In general terms, national governments are responsible for the development, coordination and 

implementation of policies relating to risk and disaster management. National governments establish 

strategic directions for risk and disaster management processes and, in most countries, provide the 

funding for related activities. Strategies are developed by the responsible government departments 

hosting multi-agency committees with representation from all key stakeholders. 

As a significant global industry, tourism is a significant contributor to the economy of most countries, 

but it plays a key economic role in developing countries where it can provide the primary source of 

foreign exchange and be a major driver of economic development. As the world’s largest nongovernment 

economic sector, tourism is particularly vulnerable to the impact of disasters. 

As outlined in Chapter 1, the tourism industry needs to draw to the attention of national governments 

the legislative, regulatory, and social environment in which tourism operates, the possible threats to 

its continued activity from actual or threatened disasters, and the subsequent effects upon a national 

economy of any downturn in tourism activities. 

Coordination and Partnerships – A National Tourism Council 

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations. With a 

current membership of 150 countries, seven territories and over 300 Affiliate Members representing 

the private sector, educational institutions, tourism associations and local tourism authorities, the 

UNWTO provides a global forum for tourism policy issues. UNWTO recommends that countries 

‘develop a national policy on tourism safety commensurate with the prevention of visitor risks’, and 

form national tourism councils with executive committees responsible for risk management in key 

areas, according to the needs of each destination. Mixed-sector councils comprising government and 

industry participants are essential since many of the necessary actions can and should be 

implemented by the private sector. A key committee of a national tourism council would be a national 

safety and security committee, responsible for developing and coordinating measures to protect the 

tourism industry and its clients at each destination. Government agencies and tourism industry 

sectors which should be included on a safety and security committee are: 

• National tourism administration/Visitor Board; 

• Police; 

• Counter-terrorism/security agencies; 

• Immigration Department; 

• Attorney-General’s Department; 

• Customs; 


• Transportation; 

• Health; 

• Foreign Affairs; 

• Disaster Management; 

• Airlines and transport company associations; 

• Hotel associations; 

• Tour operators' associations; 

• Travel agents' associations; 

• Other travel and tourism representatives; 

• Consumer groups; 

• Retail trade organizations; and 

• Tourism safety and security-oriented research and documentation centres. 

The following example from South Africa demonstrates a working partnership between government 

agencies and the tourism industry: 

Visitor Safety and Security: The South African Experience 

Successful tourism depends on many factors including good infrastructure, the breadth and 

diversity of the tourism product, a vibrant and adaptable marketing and promotion strategy, good 

information systems and management, competitive prices, and a clean, healthy and safe 

environment. In South Africa the government believes that a proper conceptualization of the tourism 

industry by policy and decision makers is the key to success. The following approach has been 

adopted as the basis of tourism development and promotion. Tourism: 

• is an unusual product and must be treated as such; 

• integrates all life activities of a nation and is inter-ministerial and multi-disciplinary in nature 

and should therefore be integrated into all policies and be elevated to national priority 

status; 

• is basically a service and people orientated industry whose success depends on the 

democratic involvement of all; 

• tourism development and promotion can only succeed if it is: 

o Government-led; 

o Private sector (labour and business) driven; and 

o Community based. 

• works only with a governance framework involving all stakeholders in a partnership for 

mobilization and joint application of resources. 

The South African Government approaches visitor safety and security from the point of view of a 

partnership. A Tourism Safety Task Group (TSTG) was formed consisting of the Department of 

Environmental Affairs and Tourism, the South African Police Service (SAPS), the South African 

Tourism Board (SATOUR), the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA), Business 

Against Crime (BAC), the Department of Foreign Affairs, and the nine provincial tourism 

departments. 

(Source: Extracted from a speech delivered by Deputy Minister Hon. Peter R. Mokaba, MP at the 

WTO Seminar on Tourism Safety and Security, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 25 April 1997) 


A National Tourism Safety and Security Plan 

As tourism is so critical to national economies it should be developed and managed as a matter of 

priority, and the development of a National Tourism Safety and Security Plan is recommended as a 

measure to achieve this. The plan should address the following main areas: 

• potential risks to tourism; 

• detection and prevention of offences against visitors; 

• protection of visitors and residents from illicit drug trafficking; 

• protection of visitor sites and facilities against unlawful interference; 

• guidelines for operators of visitor facilities in the event of such interference; 

• media management; 

• information to be provided to the international travel trade on safety and security issues; 

• crisis management; 

• safety standards and practices in visitor facilities and sites including fire protection, theft, 

sanitary and health requirements; 

• development of liability rules in visitor establishments; 

• safety and security aspects of licensing for accommodation establishments, restaurants, taxi 

companies, and tour guides; 

• documentation and information on visitor safety to the public, for both outgoing and incoming 

travellers; 

• national policies on visitor health, including reporting systems for health problems of visitors; 

• visitor insurance and travel assistance insurance; and 

• research statistics on crimes against travellers. 

Whilst in some countries these responsibilities are undertaken by national tourism authorities, other 

government agencies and key tourism industry groups should be involved as a major crisis will 

require a coordinated effort by them all. 

A National Tourism Incident Response Plan 

Developed following the events of September 11 and updated in April 2005, the Australian National 

Tourism Incident Response Plan establishes a response framework and actions for the National, 

State and Territory governments to pursue in cooperation with industry to ensure rapid, detailed and 

targeted responses to incidents with a national impact of the tourism industry. The plan addresses 

incident monitoring and management and recovery and recognizes the importance of close 

collaboration between governments and industry when responding to major incidents. It ensures that 

incidents with a national impact on the tourism industry are managed in a coordinated whole-ofgovernment 

way to minimize potential negative economic impacts to the industry. The Government is 

committed to working closely with industry to ensure the best possible outcome for the Australian 

tourism industry. 

The plan includes arrangements to: 

• communicate accurate and timely information to: 

o 

State, Territory and Australian governments and tourism organizations 


o 

Australian and international tourism industry (including APEC, PATA and UNWTO) 

o domestic and international travelling public 

• ensure coordinated policy responses and remedies across governments; and 

• coordinate and disseminate information relating to impacts of incidents on the tourism 

industry. 

Developed as an ‘all hazards’ plan, the National Tourism Incident Response Plan will be 

implemented to respond to incidents including terrorism or war, disease outbreaks, natural disasters 

and other events that may impact negatively on the Australian tourism industry. It contains generic 

arrangements for response as specific requirements will vary, depending on the nature and scope of 

an event. Importantly, though, it does suggest that each jurisdiction prepare its own plan, consistent 

with the national arrangements. The plan is authorized by the Tourism Ministers Council, which 

includes National, State and Territory Tourism Ministers. 

Business Continuity Planning Guide for a Human Influenza Pandemic 

A further support to the tourism industry by the Australian Government is the recently released 

business continuity guide and small business kit designed to provide practical information and 

planning tools to assist businesses, including tourism operators, in their preparations for a potential 

human influenza pandemic. The guide, Being Prepared for a Human Influenza Pandemic – A 

Business Continuity Guide for Australian Businesses, and the kit, A Kit for Small Businesses, were 

prepared by the Australian Government in consultation with industry associations. 

The guide encourages businesses to rethink their existing contingency strategies to cope with these 

types of pandemics and is designed to: 

• give an overview of the current situation in regards to avian and pandemic influenza and the 

role of the Government; 

• allow for consideration of potential impacts of a pandemic on businesses in Australia; and 

• provide business continuity planning steps to minimize impact of a pandemic, protect staff and 

manage customers and stakeholders. 

The kit is a comprehensive planning tool for businesses and provides a detailed overview of the 10 

business continuity planning steps for dealing with a pandemic, as well as additional information 

resources for business preparedness. 

Both can be downloaded from the Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources website at 

www.industry.gov.au/pandemicbusinesscontinuity. 

PATA and Project Phoenix 

It struck suddenly, and with devastating consequences for the Asia-Pacific region: SARS - Severe 

Acute Respiratory Syndrome - took the lives of more than 900 people. By the time medical 

authorities had the disease in check, SARS had also taken a heavy toll on regional economies, 

particularly in the travel and tourism sector. As fear of travel grew disproportionately to the actual 

risk, billions of dollars and thousands of livelihoods were lost as global consumers chose not to 

travel, not only to SARS affected destinations but to countries throughout the region. 

Following on from the terror attacks in Bali and the Iraq conflict, the SARS outbreak was the worst 


crisis in the relatively short history of international tourism. Asia-Pacific destinations suffered a 

decline of more that 14 million visitor arrivals in the first six months of 2003. 

Project Phoenix 

The SARS crisis demanded a strong and effective response to combat the fears of global travellers. 

On behalf of the industry, PATA created Project Phoenix, a bold initiative to restore consumer and 

business confidence in travel to and within the Asia-Pacific region. 

PATA appointed a leading public relations company and tourism communications expert to manage 

Phoenix which was essentially a communications program to deliver positive images and messages 

about the region through TV, print and online media. The end result far surpassed expectations with 

Phoenix achieving high levels of consumer response in less than four months. It had three specific 

purposes, to: 

1. restore consumer confidence in the travel experience; 

2. create a consistent single voice for travel and tourism in Pacific Asia; and 

3. drive business back to Pacific Asia destinations. 

TV Campaigns 

Phoenix faced two major communication challenges: first, to persuade scared, sceptical travellers 

that it was time to put Asia-Pacific back on their list of travel destinations; second, to gain as much 

‘free ink’ as possible by leveraging its relationship with global media companies and creative 

publications. It succeeded on both counts. A great example was the ‘Welcome Back’ campaign on 

CNN, with US$1 million of airtime, reaching 130 million global households and a TV commercial 

that tapped into the hearts of travellers everywhere. Phoenix created campaigns with BBC World 

and the National Geographic Channel as well as producing its own SMILES campaign. 

Print Ads 

As part of the ‘Welcome Back’ campaign, two print ads were rotated in TIME magazine, (US and 

International editions) and Fortune magazine, (Europe and Asia editions). Phoenix also produced 

print ads as part of the SMILES campaign, one aimed at consumers, the other at trade. Both 

provided acknowledgement and brand exposure for Phoenix contributors. These ads were 

supported by National Geographic Traveler Magazine, Newsweek, Travel Trade Gazette (TTG 

Asia), Travel Weekly, Travel Trade Report and the STS Times. 

Publicity 

PATA had two basic objectives with its publicity drive. One was to achieve as much positive 

coverage as possible, through the efforts of Phoenix and MDK consultants. The other was to use 

Phoenix to build PATA’s public profile, to demonstrate to members and the industry at large that 

PATA was vigorously embracing its new strategic mandate to be a vocal advocate on the key 

issues impacting the region. Phoenix succeeded in generating positive media coverage in 

consumer and trade publications in excess of US$2 million. 

Promotions 

Another Phoenix strategy was to harness the creative energy and support of the 70 PATA Chapters 

around the world. In the United States for instance, there are 20 Chapters with more than 3,000 

individual members. PATA’s regional office in Europe, Americas and Pacific worked closely with the 

Chapters to spread positive messages about Asia-Pacific and restore confidence in travel to the 

region. 


Post Phoenix 

As campaigns and communication channels were developed through Phoenix, PATA learned 

valuable lessons in the process. PATA, the Phoenix contributors and the broader industry are now 

better prepared to deal with the next crisis to hit the region. 

The fact that so many NTOs and industry players came together in such an unprecedented display 

of regional cooperation is itself an encouraging development given the challenges that no doubt lie 

ahead. 

The New Website 

A critical element of Phoenix was the creation of a new consumer website – TravelWithPATA.com. 

Its main purpose is to give consumers a source of reliable and accurate information about travel in 

Asia-Pacific as well as the travel news, advice, destination guides and many other features. The site 

will be a valuable tool for PATA in the event of future setbacks. In times of crisis, such as the SARS 

outbreak, consumers are often confronted with misconceptions and myths about the dangers 

involved. Often there is nowhere to turn for a credible, independent point of view. 

TravelWithPATA.com will ensure global consumers get the real picture when they need it most. 

(Source: Extracted from a series of interviews with Peter De Jong, President – PATA; and 

www.TravelWithPata.com) 

Counter-Terrorism and Consequence Management 

Events since September 11 in New York have required governments to develop measures for the 

protection of their citizens, infrastructure and lifelines (power supplies, water and sewerage) from 

terrorist attack. Following the London Underground bombings of 7 July 2005, much of the 

international counter-terrorism (CT) focus has been on the mass transportation infrastructures of 

countries at high risk of attack. On 11 July 2006, seven terrorists’ bombs exploded on evening peak 

hour trains in Mumbai, India, killing more than 200 people and injuring over 700. 

National governments (and where applicable, state/provincial governments) have addressed the risk 

of terrorism in different ways using a variety of organizational structures, but one aspect is common 

to all – that the consequences of a terrorist incident will be managed within a disaster management 

framework. In the initial stages of a terrorist attack (and the London Underground bombings are a 

good example of this), authorities may not know the source of the incident (it may be assumed to be 

an explosion due to a gas leak, for example). Disaster management agencies, however, will still 

follow, as far as practicable, their normal procedures to carry out search and rescue, medical and 

fire-fighting activities. In other words, they will still need to manage the effects or consequences of 

the incident. Hence the new phrase in disaster management terminology – consequence 

management – to be applied to the use of emergency services or disaster management activities 

carried out in response to a terrorist incident. Confirmation of terrorist involvement will, of course, 

impose additional law enforcement/security requirements upon activities. 

Generally the tourism industry and operators will have no direct role in, or responsibility for, the 

development or implementation of counter-terrorism plans (these responsibilities are vested in law 

enforcement, defence and specialist agencies of governments); however, given the potential impact 

of a terrorist event upon tourism infrastructures and destinations, industry representatives should 

liaise with national counter-terrorist committees and ensure that they are familiar with national 

arrangements and requirements. They should also provide specialist advice on vulnerable visitor 

sites and destinations to authorities. At a local level, tourism operators should liaise with police 

regarding protection and consequence measures. 


Some countries (including the United States and Australia) have sought to combine counter-terrorist 

and disaster management agencies in the one department to facilitate the coordination of CT and 

disaster management activities. In the USA, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was 

established in June 2002 by President George W. Bush. Tasked with the responsibility for 

anticipating, pre-empting and deterring threats to The United States, it is responsible for assessing 

the vulnerabilities of the nation's critical infrastructure and cyber security threats and for coordinating 

with federal, state, local, and private entities to ensure the most effective response. 

The new Department of Homeland Security also absorbed the Federal Emergency Management 

Agency (FEMA) which was established in 1979 as the US Federal Government’s disaster 

management agency. 

Following the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre in 2001, the Australian Government moved 

agencies with a CT responsibility to the Attorney-General’s Department, including Emergency 

Management Australia. 

Tourism operators, destinations and national associations should always be aware of their own 

country’s counter-terrorism plans and arrangements. This includes being aware of current alert levels 

(see example from US Department of Homeland Security below), and familiar with any special or 

additional measures that should be taken to protect visitors when the alert level is increased. 

Although national governments invariably depend upon intelligence-led prevention and preparedness 

strategies, the importance of an alert public in detecting and reporting early signs of terrorist activity 

is critical. 

Figure 9: Example threat level: US Department of Homeland Security 

Tourism operators should develop their own Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) as part of a 

crisis management plan to identify measures to be undertaken with increased threat levels. National 

police and security/defence forces should be consulted for specialist advice. For further information 

on the development of SOPs for tourism operators, see Chapter 4. 


Bali and Terrorism: Learning from the Past 

Following the bombings of a Kuta nightclub on 12 October 12 2002, government, industry and the 

community in Bali were forced to implement a series of reactive strategies to respond to and cope 

with the resulting tourism crisis. Recovery of consumer confidence and revenues had been a slow 

and laborious effort hindered by repeat terrorist incidents in the national capital of Jakarta, SARS, 

the introduction of fee-based visas, and numerous high profile drug trafficking cases involving 

foreigners. 

From the experience of the Kuta nightclub attacks, local residents had developed a greater 

awareness and appreciation of how vulnerable the tourism industry and their livelihoods really had 

become. As many migrated or returned to villages others sought alternative employment, education 

and training. The export market for craft, furniture and textiles was successfully expanded. 

However, with limited personal income or foreign investment, opportunities for economic 

diversification were limited. The government and tourism sectors worked to improve existing 

security measures, provide safety reassurances and promote a value experience for all visitors. 

Using networks, skills, resources and understanding developed post-bombing, the community of 

Bali successfully worked on education and environmental campaigns and even contributed to the 

recovery efforts following the South Asian tsunami. While no formal disaster management plan was 

implemented for the island, local measures and understanding helped to enhance capacity and 

resource management. 

Despite continued cautionary travel advisories and a changed consumer demographic, by 

September 2005 visitor arrivals at the international airport in Bali had passed all previous records. 

As tourists were once again enjoying the “Bali experience” on the evening of 1 October 2005, a 

second series of terrorist attacks occurred inside eating areas of the popular shopping district of 

Kuta Square and nearby Jimberan Bay. Rather than a remotely detonated larger explosive, these 

bombs were smaller and concealed inside the perpetrators’ backpacks. Compacted with projectiles, 

the explosions caused 22 fatalities (including the three suicide bombers) with a further 123 injured. 

While most were Indonesians, the fatalities included four Australians and one Japanese. 

Given their recent experience, the emergency response to the incident was relatively effective and 

coordinated. As community, industry and international leaders again expressed condemnation, 

media and operational centres were established to coordinate information and assistance. While 

media attention focused on the damage and destruction, the official spokesperson, General I Made 

Mangku Made Pastika, Provincial Head of Bali’s Police Department, (responsible for investigations 

following the first series of bombings) provided the known facts, outlined investigations and 

highlighted the efforts of government, community and the tourism industry in responding and 

maintaining safety and security measures. He emphasized that the change in terrorist tactics to 

smaller concealed bombs was a testament to improved security measures and that, in light of 

similar attacks in London and Madrid, terrorism had become a global issue. 

Unlike the first terrorist bombings in Bali, there was not a mass exodus and immediate decline in 

tourist numbers. Bali’s second tourism crisis has been more progressive and gradual. Many 

optimistic commentators speculated that perhaps the travelling public had become more tolerant 

and accepting of the inevitability of terrorism; however while the second terrorist attacks were less 

destructive or severe, they established a suggestion of frequency. As travel advisories were once 

again introduced by overseas governments, succeeding months saw regular updates highlighting 

further “imminent” terrorist attacks directed at tourists. Domestic and regional tourism promotions 

were enhanced but proved insufficient to meet the shortfall in local business and income. Seemingly 

content with initial response and visitor reactions, there is limited evidence of money or resources 

allocated to medium- or long-term recovery initiatives. Although Bali has continued to win numerous 


international awards for quality of product and service, there appears to have been minimal public 

or tangible actions to address concerns regarding risk, safety and security. 

Declining numbers once again saw a reduction in air services and routes. The locally established 

Air Paradise airline collapsed as a consequence of mounting business costs. As the traditional 

market base continues to change, the industry has strived to promote niche markets such as health 

tourism and a more culturally based experience. For much of the travelling public Bali has now 

become associated with the problems of greater Indonesia including political and social unrest, 

terrorism and natural disasters. While the industry has supported local education, training and 

scholarship programs, and strived to improve community cooperation and relations, continued 

issues of resource use and environmental destruction undermine collaborative efforts. As the 

people of Bali demonstrate remarkable resilience and persistence, the island still struggles to 

recover from this crisis of consumer confidence. 

Although Bali has yet to see a revival of revenues or tourism numbers, the second terrorist attack 

reveals the value of learning from past experience. Whether or not as a consequence of improved 

safety precautions, the bombing and subsequent damage was significantly reduced in the 1 

October 2005 incident. Experience, networks and skills that had been developed assisted in: 

• effective coordination of emergency response personnel and resources; 

• establishment of an identifiable operations and media centre; 

• identification of a credible spokesperson to brief the media; 

• improved communications capacity utilizing honesty, authority and placing the incident into 

the wider context; and 

• greater integration of community, industry and government strategies. 

While tourism and industry sustainability is yet to be achieved for Bali, their experience 

demonstrates the value of awareness and the processes involved in risk and crisis management. It 

should be a continuous, collaborative effort that all stakeholders strive to understand and improve. 

Similarly, while tourism may seem relatively resilient, destinations and stakeholders must consider 

and plan beyond immediate issues. 

(Source: Bali Discovery, 2006; Bali SOS, 2006; and PATA, 2006) 

Preventing Organized Crime 

At the national level, tourism authorities can assist the actions of police and other agencies in 

combating organized crime by supporting actions designed to prevent criminals and weapons 

entering their country. This includes endorsing the use of control systems at airports and other ports 

of entry. 

Another measure in preventing organized crime is to identify the nature of violent or criminal acts and 

to design relevant information campaigns for visitors and the domestic and international travel trade. 

Organized violent crime is usually highly targeted, even though it may appear random. 

When Mexico, for example, realized that it had crime problems related to automobile and coach 

travel, it instituted a visitor police highway service, the ‘Green Angels’ (a fleet of radio-dispatched 

trucks with bilingual crews operating daily to provide protection, medical first aid, mechanical 

assistance, and basic supplies to travellers), and developed and disseminated information materials 

for visitors on safe travel by car and coach in Mexico. 


Tourism and Child Protection 

While tourism has long been acclaimed for its employment, income and investment-generating 

capacity, the darker side of tourism also reveals exploitation of the weak and vulnerable. Sex 

tourism, trafficking, pornography and child prostitution are forms of organized crime and are 

unfortunately prevalent in many popular tourist destinations, particularly in developing nations. 

Although such activities are generally considered illegal both in the source market and the host 

community, victims have rarely been in a position to take any meaningful action. 

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Articles 34 and 35) says that all children 

should be protected from all forms of exploitation and sexual abuse including the exploitative use of 

children in prostitution, pornography and trafficking. Consistent with this convention many national 

governments are now taking a proactive approach towards increased awareness and overt child 

protection. As a collaborative effort between government, industry and communities, a number of 

policies and campaigns have been implemented to reduce the violence, exploitation and abuse of 

women and children perpetrated by tourists and foreigners. Supported by a variety of multinational 

laws and repatriation agreements, successful conviction can carry severe penalties. 

Programs such as Child Wise Tourism, currently operating in Cambodia; Indonesia; Lao PDR; 

Myanmar; The Philippines; Thailand; and Viet Nam help to educate workers within the tourism 

sector and other travellers, how to identify and report situations where children may be at risk. 

Irrespective of international borders, foreign relations or cultural difference, such schemes 

demonstrate how collaborative endeavours within tourism can actually play a vital role in reducing 

risk and vulnerability. 

(Source: Child Wise, 2006) 

Tourism Risk Management in the Pacific Region 

A review of the types of risk that need to be managed in the Oceania region (Wilks, 2003) revealed 

that many Pacific Islands have a similar profile with no serious safety or security concerns, some 

petty crime, cyclones and seismic activity, and a range of possible infectious diseases (most notably 

dengue fever, hepatitis A and typhoid fever). Malaria was noted for the Solomon Islands and 

Vanuatu, while Japanese B encephalitis was mentioned for the Northern Marianas. The report 

concluded that the range of infectious diseases prevalent in the region highlights the need for all 

travellers to carry appropriate travel health insurance, especially cover for emergency medical 

evacuation. In many smaller and remote destinations adequate medical care will not be available 

should a visitor require emergency treatment. 


Disasters in Asia and the Pacific 

Many Asian countries, especially those in South East Asia, are densely populated and prone to 

disasters which have a severe and negative effect upon their economies and development. Countries 

with long coastlines are repeatedly affected by cyclones (typhoons); floods are an annual feature in 

the region claiming lives and destroying huge areas of land in India, Indonesia and Bangladesh; flash 

floods are common in hilly and mountainous regions; seismic disturbances are very common in Asia; 

and in India the entire sub-Himalayan region is prone to earthquakes. 

Landslides are increasingly common in hilly and mountainous regions causing extensive damage to 

roads, bridges, human dwellings, and land as well as loss of human lives. Volcanic eruptions have 

recently caused significant death and destruction. Diverse agro-climactic conditions account for the 

frequent occurrence of droughts in India, Pakistan, Burma and Indonesia, while regular epidemics of 

enteric diseases such as cholera, typhoid, respiratory infections, and vector-borne diseases are 

common. Cyclones and floods are seasonal events in the Pacific, while volcanic activity and 

earthquakes are additional and significant sources of risk to communities. 

Disasters in Asia and the Pacific are also caused by civil disturbance, terrorism and transportation 

accidents. 

Transport Incidents 

Transport incidents such as bus crashes, train derailments and ferry accidents are relatively routine 

emergencies throughout the developed world, yet when victims include a significant number of 

international visitors they generate a high level of media attention. The degree of media coverage 

often relates to the frequency, scale, and severity of the incident (particularly the number of injuries 

and fatalities); however, such publicity often serves to engender negative destination images and 

perceptions. 

Although tourism and destination officials are not directly responsible for these incidents, the 

circumstances often warrant close scrutiny of accepted safety conditions and standards. Recent 

high profile bus crashes in Egypt (January 2006) have been attributed to speed and poor road 

conditions, while the visitor-chartered ferry that capsized off Bahrain killing 44 people in March 2006 

was reportedly unstable and unlicensed. Similar incidents cite causes such as overcrowding, 

insufficient safety equipment, poor operational conditions and general negligence. Ferry incidents 

and motorbike accidents had become so common in Thailand during 2005 that the Australian 

Government began officially to warn potential travellers of the hazards involved in using these forms 

of transport. 

While many countries have legislated minimal safety standards, compliance and maintenance is 

often the responsibility of individual operators. As part of a proactive risk management process, 

individual businesses should endeavour to review and implement best practice safety procedures, 

as government and industry should pressure dangerous operators to conform through enforcement 

of safety codes and legal requirements. 

Common preventative strategies for businesses and operators include: 

• regular safety audits of vehicles/equipment/facilities; 

• scheduled inspection, maintenance and repairs; 

• employee safety training/certification; 

• reviewing and adherence to minimum safe operational conditions eg, maximum capacity, 


safety equipment, evacuation procedures, environmental conditions; and 

• insurance (requires safety compliance). 

Resumption of tourism operation and business following high profile transport accidents is often 

dependent on the extent of operator culpability and the effectiveness of subsequent public relations. 

Crisis communications should be timely, express appropriate sympathy/empathy/sensitivity and be 

based on the established facts. Where possible, the incident should be contextualized within a 

broader history or record for safety and visitor satisfaction. There should also be adequate victim 

and family support. Effective recovery usually requires a demonstrated ability to communicate and 

address the safety concerns of prospective clientele. 

(Source: ABC News, 2006; BBC News, 2006; and DFAT, 2006) 

National Disaster Management Arrangements in Asia and the Pacific 

National Disaster Management Councils exist in one form or another in most Asian and Pacific 

nations where the past decade or so has seen a paradigm shift from relief and response activities to 

a comprehensive disaster risk management framework. In general, disaster management and risk 

reduction strategies are linked to national and international drivers including economic development 

and poverty reduction strategies and the UN Millennium Development Goals. 

National Disaster Management Councils (or equivalent agencies) provide advice to governments, 

develop policies and strategic directions in disaster management, coordinate activities, and provide 

frameworks within which plans can be developed and implemented. In general, disaster management 

responsibilities are allocated to national, state/provincial, district and local governments. The main 

responsibilities of the national governments are to develop and maintain relevant legislation, allocate 

responsibilities, provide national security, stability and prosperity and to provide strategic directions. 

The district and local level governments are normally tasked to provide services, amenities and 

controls for the health and well-being of their communities. 

The systems for disaster management in Asia follow similar general patterns but there is no 

consistent model. However, the recent and widespread shift from response and relief to communitybased, 

comprehensive disaster risk management programs includes a focus upon partnerships 

between national and local governments and non-governmental organizations to promote risk 

reduction and disaster preparedness. The requirements and input of tourism operators and 

associations are consistent with this multi-focus, community-based approach to disaster and crisis 

management. 

Examples of national disaster management arrangements in Asia and the Pacific include: 

• The Philippines’ National Disaster Coordinating Council which was established by Presidential 

decree in 1978 as the highest policy-making body on disaster-related matters. There are also 

regional and several levels of local coordinating councils. 

• Viet Nam is subject to flood, typhoon and drought and these are being addressed through the 

Second National Strategy for Disaster Mitigation and Management (2001–2010) which has 

identified mitigation measures and principles and the key tasks of the National Committee for 

Disaster Mitigation and Management. 

• Thailand has a National Civil Defence Committee as well as plans for disaster management at 

each level, with support from the national level. In October 2002 a new department of Disaster 

Preparedness and Mitigation was established in the Ministry of Interior, consolidating 

functions previously undertaken by several departments. 


• The Government of Bangladesh has disaster management committees at the national and 

field levels and a Disaster Management Bureau and Department of Food and Disaster 

Management. Their Comprehensive Disaster Management Program (CDMP) is based upon a 

disaster risk management culture with programs including partnership development, 

community empowerment, capacity-building, research information management, and 

response management. CDMP seeks to ensure that disaster management is integrated within 

the core business of government, with strong links with development planning. Local Disaster 

Action Plans have been developed for 900 communities. 

• The Cook Islands has a National Disaster Council as the focal point for all disaster 

management activities with a National Disaster Management Office as the secretariat of the 

NDC. The Outer Islands Island Secretary and Island Council Mayor are responsible for the 

development of disaster management activities on their respective islands. The island system 

is modelled on the national system to ensure uniformity. The National Disaster Council assists 

them by providing guidance, policy advice and resources. 

Comprehensive Disaster Management Programs (CDMPs) jointly funded by the United Nations 

Development Program (UNDP) and the Department for International Development (DFID) have been 

launched in many Asian countries since November 2003. The United Nations International Strategy 

for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) underpins the development of disaster management programs in 

Asia and the Pacific. 

The Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre 

Training, education and support are available through the Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre 

(ADPC) in Bangkok (http://www.adpc.net). Established in 1986 with financial assistance from the 

United Nations Development Program (UNDP) at the recommendation of the United Nations Disaster 

Relief Organization (now the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs - OCHA), ADPC is a 

non-profit organization supporting the advancement of safer communities and sustainable 

development through the implementation of programs and projects which reduce the impact of 

disasters upon countries and communities in Asia and the Pacific by: 

• developing and enhancing sustainable institutional disaster risk management capacities, 

frameworks and mechanisms, and supporting the development and implementation of 

government policies; 

• facilitating the dissemination and exchange of disaster risk management expertise, 

experience and information; and 

• raising awareness and enhancing disaster risk management knowledge and skills. 

The Centre is staffed by professionals from many different countries and draws upon the expertise 

and experience of some 350 associates and a network of more than 4,300 alumni spread across 75 

countries. 

The Centre’s geographical area of interest embraces South East and East Asia, the Indian subcontinent 

and the Pacific. ADPC works closely with local communities, local and national 

governments and regional bodies to raise awareness, promote appropriate policies, establish 

sustainable institutional mechanisms, enhance knowledge and skills, and facilitate the exchange of 

experience and expertise on risk, disaster and crisis management. ADPC programs are diverse in 

application, address all types of hazards, and cover all aspects of the crisis and risk management 

spectrum from prevention and mitigation, through preparedness and response, to rehabilitation and 

reconstruction. 


Tourism Disaster Response Network 

Travel and Tourism Governors at a meeting of the World Economic Forum in January 2005 

considered the impact of disasters following the South Asian tsunami of December 2004. The 

Governors subsequently established a cross-sectoral task force and commissioned a feasibility study 

to assist in the development of a tourism disaster response network. The goals of the study are to: 

• produce a global risk map, identifying which risks are most likely to occur, and where they are 

likely to occur; 

• identify (map) current operational travel and tourism disaster response networks. This task 

should identify duplications of effort and capabilities, and identify gaps in priority capabilities; 

• provide recommendations and proposals for what should be done to create an effective early 

warning disaster response network, able to respond in a timely way to the most likely future 

risks; and 

• suggest possible next steps and the resources required for the implementation of the network. 

In its survey of existing disaster recovery networks and resources available to assist the tourism 

industry in anticipating, planning for, reacting to and recovering from a disaster, it was noted that the 

tourism industry needs to improve its proactive communication strategies with governments and the 

media as there is currently limited understanding of the critical importance of the tourism sector in 

supporting community disaster recovery. 


This chapter identifies national governments as responsible for the development, coordination and 

implementation of policies relating to risk and disaster management, for establishing strategic 

directions for risk and disaster management processes and funding related activities. It identifies the 

need for national tourism councils to be involved in risk and disaster management and highlights the 

benefits of an effective partnership between government agencies and the tourism industry. Critical 

elements of a National Tourism Safety and Security Plan and a National Tourism Incident Response 

Plan are examined and the need for business continuity plans identified. Arrangements to prepare for 

and respond to a terrorism event are discussed, and an overview of national disaster management 

arrangements in Asia and the Pacific provided. The chapter concludes with an overview of the 

proposed Tourism Disaster Response Network. 

References 

ABC News Online 12 January 2006, ‘Fatigue suspected in Egypt bus crash’, [online] 

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200601/s1546139.htm, accessed 21 July 2006 

Australian Standards Association/New Zealand Standards Association 1995, ‘AS/NZS 4360-1995 

Risk Management’ 

BBC News 31 March 2006, ‘Many die in Bahrain boat disaster’, [online] 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4862948.stm, accessed 21 July 2006 

Bali Discovery 2006, ‘Bali Update’, Archive http://www.balidiscovery.com/update/archive.asp, 

(various articles 2002-2006) 

Bali SOS 2006, ‘Bali Emergency Network’, [online] http://www.balisos.com 


Child Wise 2006, [online] http://www.childwise.net/preventing-child-sex-tourism.php, accessed 23 

August 2006 

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) 2006, ‘Travel Advice for Thailand. Australian 

Government’, [online] http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/zw-cgi/view/Advice/Thailand, accessed 21July 

2006 

Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) 2006, ‘Bali Information and Updates’, [online] 

http://www.pata.org/patasite/index.php?id=1300, accessed 13 June 2006 

Wilks, J. 2003, ‘Destination risk management in Oceania’. In: Cooper, C. & Hall, C.M. (eds.), 

Regional Tourism Handbook – Oceania. London: Channel View, in press. 


CHAPTER 4: CRISIS MANAGEMENT FOR TOURISM OPERATORS AND 

DESTINATIONS 


The aim of this chapter is to provide a framework within which tourism destinations and individual 

businesses/organizations can prepare for, and manage the effects of, crises. 

While the main focus of this chapter is on the development and implementation of crisis management 

strategies for a destination, the same concepts and principles apply to tourism 

businesses/organizations and can be adapted to their situation. 

Introduction 

As noted in the conclusion to Chapter 2 of this guide, regardless of how effective the tourism risk 

management processes might be, crises will still affect organizations, just as disasters will still impact 

upon communities and the tourism facilities within them. Residual risk is the term given to the risk 

remaining after the implementation of risk treatment measures. It’s an acknowledgment of the fact 

that disasters and crises will still occur and that measures must be undertaken to deal with them. 

The accepted method of dealing with residual risk is to apply the management strategies of 

prevention/mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. It is important to note that these are not 

phases of a crisis, but strategies for their management. 

Despite the inevitability of disasters and crises, destinations, operators and the tourism industry can 

minimize disruption and facilitate the return to normal operations with the application of efficient and 

effective management strategies. 

Visitors have demonstrated a high, but nevertheless reasonable, level of expectation of the measures 

that destinations and operators should take to ensure their protection. Poorly managed crises 

invariably result in loss of public confidence, widespread and very public condemnation, excessive 

media attention and potentially, expensive and protracted litigation. Destinations and tourism 

operators will inevitably be held responsible by visitors for their level of preparedness, and for their 

ability to respond to and recover from a business crisis or the effects of a community disaster. 

Business crises are events which may: 

• hinder normal business practices and operations, including the provision of services to 

visitors; 

• create a high degree of stress and trauma for visitors, staff, and the community; 

• compromise the reputation of the tourism operator or destination; 

• produce significant difficulties in the coordination of activities; 

• pose major communication and information management problems; 

• adversely affect the local or national economy; 

• be protracted events; and 

• generate intense media and public scrutiny. 


The Four Crisis Management Strategies 

Originally developed by the United Nations Disaster Relief Organization (UNDRO) more than thirty 

years ago, the comprehensive crisis management strategies of prevention/mitigation, preparedness, 

response and recovery (PPRR) have been widely adopted and provide tourism destinations and 

businesses/organizations with a logical, methodical and interlinked approach to crisis management 

which has stood the test of time. Although there are variations on the PPRR theme in use (for 

example, the four Rs – reduction, readiness, response and recovery), prevention/mitigation, 

preparedness, response and recovery is the terminology used in current risk management 

processes, and it’s the accepted terminology in disaster management. It is appropriate for this guide 

to use PPRR to be consistent with current practices. 

PPRR are crisis management strategies, not stages of crisis management. Importantly, 

prevention/mitigation and preparedness are continuous processes with no end point. Once a crisis 

management plan has been developed, for example, staff have to be trained to the plan, the plan has 

to be tested and then revised in light of lessons learned, and staff trained and tested to the revised 

plan: planning is an ongoing process. 

1. Prevention/Mitigation 

Given that these four crisis management strategies are the treatments of residual risk in a risk 

management process, risk treatment measures designed to prevent or mitigate (reduce the effects 

of) crises should have already been identified and implemented (see Chapter 2). As part of the 

process of monitoring and review, however, these should be revisited and new sources of risk to the 

tourism business/organization or destination identified and the implementation of risk treatment 

measures assessed. 

For both the tourism business/organization and destination, an added tool in strategic business 

management is the SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis which provides 

a structure to identify an organization’s internal strengths and weaknesses, and external 

opportunities and threats. 

A SWOT analysis used when developing plans and procedures to cope with crises, should focus 

upon: strengths, including the resources and support available within a tourism business/organization 

and destination to deal with a crisis; weaknesses, the factors which will affect the ability of each to 

cope with a crisis and its aftermath; opportunities to enlist government and community involvement 

and support to tourism; and threats including the sources of risk to a tourism facility and destination. 

(These will already have been identified as part of the tourism risk management process where the 

identification of hazards, sources of risk, is a key step in the process. See Chapter 2 for details.) 

Occupational Health and Safety 

A significant prevention and mitigation measure for crises is to have in place the systems and 

procedures necessary to protect the health and safety of visitors and staff. In many countries, 

legislation establishes the requirements for occupational health and safety measures to be developed 

and maintained, and destinations should identify health and safety requirements to protect visitors 

and tourism personnel consistent with national legal requirements, and advise tourism operators on 

the development of appropriate plans and procedures. 

Consultation between the destination and relevant government departments and emergency services 

will ensure that appropriate measures, which comply with national regulations, can be developed and 

implemented. Such inter-agency cooperation will also promote an integrated approach to tourism- 


elated health and safety and reinforce the need for government and community agencies to support 

tourism operations and initiatives. 

Whilst legislation relating to occupational health and safety varies from country to country, common 

elements generally include: 

• liability (being legally responsible for actions and activities) is a two-way street with both the 

employer and employees being liable for their actions; 

• duties of employers and employees and penalties for non-compliance; 

• the provision of a work environment that is safe and without risk to health; 

• the provision of adequate facilities; 

• maintenance of a safe means of access and egress; 

• ensuring the absence of risks in connection with handling of plant and substances; 

• development of procedures for emergencies within the facility or workplace; 

• adequate training of staff and testing of plans and procedures; and 

• provision of information in appropriate languages. 

Destinations should advise tourism businesses/organizations to develop, as a minimum, Standard 

Operating Procedures (SOPs) for their facilities to address: 

• evacuation; 

• building fire; 

• bomb, chemical, biological, radiological threat; 

• suspected mail bomb/letter bomb; 

• civil disorder/illegal occupancy; 

• armed or dangerous intruder; 

• hazardous material spill; 

• gas leak or other noxious exposure; 

• building collapse; 

• medical emergency; and 

• external emergencies – storm, flood, earthquake, tsunami, landslide, etc. 

Again, regional and local emergency services personnel can provide expert advice on the 

development of these procedures and this provides an important opportunity for an effective 

partnership between tourism and community agencies. 

2. Preparedness 

This strategy includes the development of plans and programs, systems and procedures, training and 

testing to ensure that when crises do occur, resources (personnel and equipment) can be mobilized 

and deployed to best effect to reduce the effects of the crisis and to facilitate the return to normal 

tourism operations. 


A key part of crisis preparedness for destinations is the establishment of networks and liaison with 

relevant government departments and community agencies. Just as Chapter 2 identifies each 

tourism operator and destination as part of the disaster management community, so each destination 

should develop and maintain an effective working relationship with those departments and agencies 

with which it will cooperate during a crisis, and which may provide advice and assistance during 

tourism crisis response and recovery. 

The Planning Committee 

The first step in preparedness is the establishment of a tourism crisis planning committee. While a 

tourism operator’s committee will ideally involve representatives from every section of the 

organization, the planning committee for a destination should include representation from all key 

stakeholder organizations as each will have a different perspective and different knowledge and skills 

to contribute. The destination should also invite participation from relevant government departments 

and community agencies to reinforce the need for integrated crisis response and recovery processes 

for regional tourism. These committees are likely to form the core of subsequent crisis management 

teams. 

The planning process will be based upon the sources of risk to the tourism destination which were 

identified as part of the risk management process (see Chapter 2). A planning committee should 

meet regularly (every three months if possible) and will be responsible for the: 

• development, production, dissemination and review of tourism crisis management plans and 

procedures; 

• allocation of crisis management roles and responsibilities; 

• identification of training needs; 

• organization of training programs, including induction programs for new staff; 

• development and conduct of exercises (mock crises), annually as a minimum; 

• debriefing following exercises and crisis plan activations; and 

• monitoring, evaluation and amendment of plans and procedures. 

Tourism Crisis Management Planning 

No two crises will ever be the same. Each crisis will have a life of its own and will generate different 

problems requiring different solutions. What is needed, then, is a generic tourism crisis management 

plan: one which will contain a single set of crisis management arrangements which will be applied to 

all crises which may impact upon a tourism destination or business/organization. 

However, a best practice crisis plan is only a starting point: the ability of a destination or tourism 

operator to manage a crisis will always be dependent upon the knowledge and skills of those 

responsible for the plan’s implementation, and their abilities and flexibility to adapt to the changing 

needs and situations that crises produce. 

A tourism crisis management plan should: 

• describe activation procedures - the means of alerting personnel and activating the crisis 

management system; 

• allocate crisis management roles and responsibilities; 


• identify control and coordination arrangements, including the facilities (operations centre) and 

structure for managing a crisis; 

• include standard procedures for the response to, and recovery from, crises; 

• identify operational information management requirements, including the assessment of the 

effects of the crisis upon facilities, personnel and operations; 

• establish communications methods - a fail-safe system of providing warnings and information 

to visitors and staff, and for communicating with regional tourism organizations and 

emergency services agencies; and 

• describe public relations and media management arrangements (for details see Chapter 5). 

Crisis management arrangements should ensure: 

• the safety of all persons residing within, working at, or visiting a tourism facility or destination; 

• minimal disruption to regional tourism operations, visitors, staff and surrounding communities; 

and 

• compliance with applicable legislation, regulations and guidelines. 

The planning committee should take account of the fact that a crisis may be protracted, and that 

personnel may be required to undertake crisis management roles and responsibilities over many 

days. Will there be sufficient trained personnel available? If not within a destination or organization, 

what options are available? 

The basis of all crisis management planning is a series of ‘what if’ questions for the planning 

committee to address: 

• What if so-and-so happened? 

• What does this mean to us as a destination or tourism operator? 

• What are the implications for our regional operations and for the attitudes and patterns of 

travellers? 

• What must we do as a result of this to protect people and our businesses, and to restore and 

maintain confidence in our operations and facilities? 

Criteria for Crisis Control Personnel 

A planning committee may find the following general criteria useful when selecting personnel to 

undertake critical roles in the crisis management team: 

• Can the person keep calm, think clearly, and make sound decisions when under crisis 

pressure? 

• Does the person readily accept responsibility? 

• Is the person willing to undergo training and participate in regular exercises? 

• Does the person have an understanding of his or her own limitations? 

• Is the person able to respond quickly and adapt to the demands of a changing situation? 


Training of Staff 

Crises inevitably require personnel to step outside their normal day-to-day roles and responsibilities 

and to carry out tasks which are far less familiar. To make it even more difficult, not only are many of 

the tasks unfamiliar, but they must be carried out in the highly stressful environment which crises 

produce. For these reasons it is very important that personnel be trained for and regularly tested in 

their crisis management tasks. Personnel also need the opportunity to practise their tasks as skill 

levels will deteriorate rapidly, even given the best of training, if regular practice is not undertaken. 

A planning committee should identify the specific crisis management training needs of personnel and 

ensure that appropriate initial and ongoing training is provided. This must also include relevant 

induction programs for new staff. 

Testing Plans and Personnel – Crisis Management Exercises (Mock Crises) 

The fundamental purpose of training and exercising is to improve the capacity to respond efficiently 

and effectively in times of crisis. Crisis management exercises can: 

• reveal planning weaknesses; 

• expose resource gaps; 

• clarify roles and responsibilities; 

• improve individual performances; 

• build confidence; 

• develop proficiency; 

• test plans, systems and procedures; and 

• foster cooperation between tourism operators and destinations. 

Most importantly, whilst exercises can’t exactly duplicate the stressors imposed by crises, they do 

provide an opportunity to assess the ability of personnel to perform under stressful conditions. An 

exercise will also identify whether or not plans, systems and procedures can withstand the same 

crisis pressure. 

That's what you need to know. Crisis management is not about being able to function in normal 

surroundings or circumstances. It's about being able to function effectively under crisis pressure, in 

abnormal surroundings or circumstances - and not everyone, or every system, can do so. 

Exercises provide the opportunity for personnel from the visitor region to work together and to 

develop an understanding of how others operate, their priorities and systems, and to develop an 

effective working relationship. 

Exercise Options 

The starting point of exercise management is to identify what exactly it is that you want to test and 

what is the best way to go about it. Destinations may choose to access personnel skilled in exercise 

development and management in order to maximize the benefits. Types of exercise include: 


• Discussion Exercises 

A discussion exercise produces a situation and crisis management problems for participants to 

address. It depends upon a highly skilled facilitator and is a very effective and cost efficient method of 

testing plans, procedures and personnel. Whilst it does not produce all the pressure of crisis 

conditions, participants are required to think and react under some pressure. 

• Functional exercises 

These are exercises which allow participants to practise information processing, resource 

management and decision-making skills in a crisis operations centre environment. These test the 

management of events and expose members of the crisis management team to considerable 

pressure and they are critical to developing a high level of preparedness to respond to crises. 

Importantly, though, exercises need not always be a formal procedure necessitating planning, 

development and the use of a skilled facilitator. Destinations can use crises experienced by other 

destinations to consider their own level of preparedness. Such informal exercises are based upon 

personnel discussing the following simple questions against a given scenario: 

• What would we do if that happened in our region? 

• What would be the implications of such a crisis for our business operations? 

• How would it affect visitors and potential travellers? 

• What would we do about it? 

• What are the problems which we would have to face? 

• How would media and public relations issues be managed? 

• Do we need any additional training, equipment or other resources to manage such a crisis? 

• How would tourism here be affected if it happened at a nearby destination? 

Training and exercising should be ongoing processes if you are to develop and maintain the high 

level of preparedness necessary for an efficient and effective response to a crisis. That depends, at 

least in part, on the development of an appropriate attitude: one which identifies the need for crisis 

preparedness activities to become a part of normal business routine, not merely isolated or 

occasional measures adopted to satisfy a formal requirement. 

The Tourism Crisis Planning Process 

Crisis planning is a PROCESS. A written plan is just one outcome of the ongoing process, but it’s not 

an end point. A planning committee cannot rest on its laurels once the plan has been produced. 

Personnel must be trained and tested; plans must be regularly tested, reviewed and updated. 

Destinations should learn from the crises which other destinations experience and incorporate those 

lessons into their own preparedness activities. 

A crisis management plan will get you started in a crisis. Planning must continue during crisis 

response and recovery operations, when the crisis management team will have to develop short-term 

plans for the following few hours of operation (known as tactical plans) and longer-term plans for the 

following 24 to 48 hours (strategic plans). As the team assesses the situation and decides upon 

essential tasks and priorities in response and recovery, so plans have to be developed for their 

implementation. This is not a complicated process, but a normal business approach where a 

management team determines what needs to be done and how they will go about it. 


Proactive Planning: An Example of Best Practice 

Although most of the tourism industry would be familiar with cases of poor or inadequate risk 

management, it is often considered difficult to find examples of good crisis management planning. 

In practice, effective crisis management prevents or minimizes a potential crisis with limited adverse 

public or consumer awareness. This implies appropriate measures of mitigation, preparation and 

communication. The ideal or “best practice” approach to risk and crisis management is proactive, 

strategic and holistic and designed to coordinate and manage a diverse range of tourism 

stakeholders. 

The essence to achieving such an approach is premised on knowledge, understanding and 

familiarity. A valuable and useful strategy for any planning process is to learn from past lessons and 

experiences, whether local or international. In their article A case study of best practice— 

VisitScotland’s prepared response to an influenza pandemic, Page, Yeoman, Munro, Connell and 

Walker (2005) demonstrate how VisitScotland, the Scottish National Tourism Organization, used 

the incidence of foot-and-mouth disease and systematic scenario planning exercises to develop 

proactive contingency plans and response strategies for the looming issue of flu pandemic. 

Learning from Foot-and-Mouth 

While commonly described as an agricultural, farming or health crisis, the outbreak of foot-andmouth 

disease in the United Kingdom had significant impacts on the tourism industry. Consumer 

uncertainty and concern led travellers to postpone holidays, cancel trips or choose alternative 

destinations. Media images of afflicted livestock, local precautions and stringent travel advices 

essentially resulted in reduced tourist numbers and associated revenues. The effect of foot-andmouth 

disease on Scotland’s tourism economy was profound, and according to this paper “ensured 

that VisitScotland would learn from those experiences for future crises” (p374). 

A Potential Flu Pandemic 

With growing media attention and awareness dedicated to the spread of Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) 

during late 2005, this report outlines how the potential mutation to a global flu pandemic was 

identified as a significant issue or external environmental risk likely to impact on the Scottish tourism 

industry. Consistent with a systematic risk management process the potential nature, scope and 

extent of the issue was researched (in tandem with the Scottish Executive’s Department of Health) 

to evaluate the priority of the risk. Determined a high priority issue, scenario planning exercises 

were subsequently adapted and developed “to understand the challenges to plan for the type of 

actions to prepare for a crisis” (p362). 

The Scenario Planning 

Based on a variety of realistic scenarios relating to severity and duration, this planning employed a 

triangulation of methods to model the diverse implications of an influenza pandemic, including a 

quantification of expected disruptions and changes to consumer behaviour. Using established 

methodologies, scenarios were developed over a successive period of stakeholder consultation and 

iteration. Industry based workshops were then used to further map collective themes and issues to 

identify potential outcomes of these scenarios. 

The principal outcomes outlined the implications for Scottish tourism relating to issues including; 

market reactions and changes, transportation, travel displacement, resources, employment and 

staffing, service disruption and civil unrest. From these issues, a number of key or critical issues 

were identified to help model anticipated information flow, responsibilities and relevant 

stakeholders. Developed as a guide of “principal actions and approach” to the outbreak of a global 

pandemic, this exercise has since assisted with tangible contingency planning, business continuity 

planning, and the consideration of appropriate response strategies for the Scottish tourism sector. 


Best Practice 

Although such a global flu pandemic has not yet eventuated, this example of proactive crisis 

management is consistent with best practice measures. Utilizing experience, corporate knowledge 

and a collaborative approach, this adaptation of scenario planning has assisted the Scottish tourism 

sector and businesses to become more aware, prepared, and confident in the advent of such a 

potential crisis. This case study highlights the potential for application in the operation and 

management of any tourism destination. 

(Source: Page, et al, 2006) 

3. Response 

The crisis response strategy includes actions taken leading up to and immediately after the impact of 

a crisis, to minimize its effects and to manage the consequences. The tasks involved will depend 

upon the nature and the extent of the crisis, but if a destination is experiencing a crisis imposed by a 

disaster impacting upon the community, the responsibility for management tasks related to the 

protection of lives and property will rest with the disaster management agencies. The destination will 

liaise with those agencies and be part of a coordinated, integrated response to the disaster. It is 

important that the destination and tourism operators don’t undertake tasks which are the 

responsibility of emergency services or disaster management agencies. 

Where the destination is dealing with a business or organizational crisis, it will be necessary to 

identify business continuity objectives and strategies and to manage the implementation of the crisis 

management plan. In order for visitors to maintain confidence in the destination, it is important that 

normal business operations and services are not neglected, but are continued with the least 

disruption possible. Effective crisis response management depends upon trained and experienced 

personnel with the capacity and flexibility to react to whatever situation the crisis presents. 

Importantly, the destination’s crisis management team will need an accurate picture of how the crisis 

has affected people, facilities, infrastructure and operations in order to make decisions and decide 

upon priorities. It may be necessary to task personnel to carry out a survey and assessment to obtain 

the specific information required for decision-making purposes, including: 

• effects of the crisis upon visitors; 

• damage to property and infrastructure; 

• disruption to services; 

• consequences of the crisis for regional tourism and the surrounding community; and 

• the personnel, equipment and measures needed to deal with the crisis. 

Depending upon the nature of the crisis, the destination may need to establish and maintain 

communication with key government and community leaders. Where possible these people should 

be included in crisis management exercises to allow liaison and communication links with them to be 

practised. 


Crisis Management in Tourism in Tropical North Queensland in 2000 

Explanation of a cyclone 

Tropical cyclones (known as hurricanes in the northern hemisphere) are intense atmospheric 

depressions in which the winds whirl in a clockwise direction around a small, calm ‘eye’. There are 

five categories of cyclones, with wind speeds ranging from 63km/h to in excess of 280km/h. 

Tropical North Queensland (TNQ) is the main tropical region of Australia and encompasses the 

north-eastern corner of Australia, including vast inland areas and Cape York. TNQ is within the 

cyclone belt of the southern hemisphere and during the cyclone season, between November and 

May, cyclonic winds can destroy vegetation and property while storm surges can inundate low-lying 

areas causing erosion and flooding. 

Background 

When a tropical cyclone forms off the coast of TNQ it is tracked by government meteorological 

agencies and the media. Television stations in southern Australia, the main markets for TNQ 

tourism, usually use file footage of previous, destructive cyclones as background to a story of a new 

cyclone forming; even when the new cyclone is hundreds of kilometres out to sea and having no 

effects. This can cause concern to potential visitors and reduce domestic tourism numbers to TNQ. 

Many of the cyclones which form in the Pacific Ocean each year don’t even reach the Queensland 

coast. 

Tourism Tropical North Queensland (TTNQ) is the Regional Tourism Organization for TNQ and is 

responsible for destination marketing and management of tourism for the region. In 1999 TTNQ 

developed a crisis management plan, primarily for cyclones. Extensive consultation took place with 

the government agencies responsible for disaster preparedness and disaster management 

including the State Emergency Services Department, Police, Queensland Weather Bureau, Cairns 

City Council plus business groups such as the Chamber of Commerce and the Cairns and Region 

Economic Development Council. The purpose of the plan was not to duplicate or impinge on the 

official agencies’ roles and responsibilities, but to address additional elements, particularly 

communication to tourism markets in Australia and overseas on the situation in relation to cyclones. 

Another objective was to facilitate consistent and accurate reporting of the impact on tourism of any 

disaster in the region by the agencies and organizations dealing with the media. 

The plan, which was agreed to by all relevant parties, contains business and private contacts for 

key representatives of all agencies and organizations so that immediate communication can be 

initiated and actions agreed to when an event occurs. 

It was also agreed that in an event which had the potential to damage normal communication 

channels, a tourism representative would join the government agencies in their operations centre 

(established when a situation requires the State’s emergency services to take control from a central 

point, it has alternative power and communications). Thus contact could be maintained with the 

media and the travel industry in Australia and overseas, and accurate reports provided. 

Cyclone Steve 

On the 26 February 2000, Tropical Cyclone Steve was identified off the coast of Cairns. It quickly 

moved toward the North Queensland coast with increasing wind strength. By 1pm the following day 

it was classified as a Category 2 cyclone with winds of up to 170 km/h. Cyclone warnings were 

issued every hour via local media, and tourism and accommodation operators immediately 

implemented emergency procedures for the safety of visitors and staff. The general community was 

also advised to take actions to secure properties and buildings and to take precautions for personal 

safety. 


Implementation of the Tourism Crisis Strategy 

The tourism crisis management plan was implemented, and in the late afternoon of 27 February a 

TTNQ senior manager joined emergency management personnel in the operations centre set up in 

the Cairns City Council Offices and was given access to facsimile and email connections. 

Cyclone Steve passed over the coastline just north of Cairns at 7pm on 27 February causing some 

damage to vegetation, but little damage to buildings. In the immediate aftermath, it was possible to 

coordinate communications from the operations centre to tourism operators in the region to monitor 

the situation and its effects on local operations. Media releases were sent to Australian and 

international sources at 10pm that evening advising that tourism was unaffected and that it would 

be ‘business as usual’ in the main coastal areas of the region in the morning. 

The following day, staff from the State Tourism Organization, Tourism Queensland, coordinated a 

series of radio news interviews with TTNQ to reach the main markets in Australia reassuring 

potential visitors of the lack of damage and normal tourism operations. These interviews were 

conducted from the TTNQ office as normal communications were not affected. However, if 

communications had been damaged, the interviews could have been conducted from the operations 

centre. 

Summary 

The TTNQ Tourism Crisis Management Plan had been developed and agreed to, and when it was 

implemented for an emergency, it worked. The tourism representative having access to the 

emergency operations centre, which was a key part of the plan, was possible because of the 

relationships that had been developed with the various government agencies and business 

organizations during the planning process. 

Pivotal to this was the understanding by the agencies and organizations of the importance of 

tourism to the local economy. In addition to the plan, there was a public relations campaign by 

TTNQ to educate local residents and the business community about tourism’s contribution to the 

economy and the direct and indirect employment opportunities it created for local residents. 

Through proactive communication with major markets, it was possible to broadcast their own 

accurate and immediate messages on the condition of tourism in TNQ and its facilities and services, 

rather than rely upon the emotive reporting and file footage used by the television stations. 

This event highlighted the importance of a major tourism destination developing collaborative 

relationships and plans, and taking responsibility for tourism-related communications in a crisis. 

(Source: Kean, I: APEC International Centre for Sustainable Tourism, 2006) 

The Tourism Crisis Management Centre 

The crisis management team will be responsible for the regular briefing and management of 

personnel undertaking crisis management tasks, the processing of information relevant to its purpose 

(collecting, collating and evaluating), decision-making, and strategic and tactical planning. (Strategic 

plans address the broader, longer-range issues of crisis management; tactical plans focus upon the 

short-term operational activities for the following two to four hours). A crisis management team must 

also keep records of all significant information, actions and decisions. This is necessary so that 

decisions and actions taken during the crisis can be justified when required. 

A tourism crisis management centre provides the means by which the essential response 

management functions are achieved and enhanced. Where possible, the destination should identify a 


oom or area to be established as the crisis control centre and provide the following minimum 

facilities and equipment: 

• a main work area with adequate space, lighting and low sound level; 

• area for meetings and briefing staff; 

• access control point; 

• separate media briefing room; 

• rest and recreation area; 

• tea and coffee making facilities; 

• display boards to present, in summary form, information on the crisis and response activities 

being carried out; 

• telephones; 

• facsimile machine; 

• computers; 

• television and radio (to monitor media reports); 

• photocopier; 

• chairs and tables; 

• stationery supplies; 

• auxiliary power; and 

• first aid equipment. 

Crisis Information Management 

One aspect of crises which is difficult for people to appreciate is the sheer volume of decision-making 

required during crisis response operations. One of the reasons why a destination needs a crisis 

management team is because it’s unrealistic to expect any one person to cope with the demands 

imposed by a crisis event, or for one person to have the specialized knowledge required to make all 

the decisions required. 

In order for the crisis management team to make good decisions, operational information must be 

processed – collected, collated and evaluated - to convert the raw data into a practical decisionmaking 

tool. It's a matter of sifting and sorting to separate the relevant from the irrelevant and fact 

from fiction. The core questions to be applied are always, 'what does this mean to us?’ and ‘what 

must we do as a result of this?’ 

There will be many sources from which information will come including regional tourism operators, 

organizations, agencies and the general public. But the team mustn't automatically rely upon the 

information it needs being provided; they must identify their information requirements and sources - 

and these will change as the crisis response operation develops. The starting point for collecting 

information is the question, ‘what do we need to know?’ followed later by ‘what do we need to know 

now?’ It is easier to identify your information needs as more information on the crisis is assembled 

and problems become clearer. 

Information then has to be put together, checked, and assessed by the destination to establish its 

relevance and reliability; to identify gaps in the information and additional information needs. This is 


the form of information that is required for decision-making purposes: this is what we know, now what 

do we have to do about it? 

Once made, decisions must be distributed to all those who have a need to know which may include 

visitors, government and community agencies, and the general public via the media. 

Tourism Business Continuity 

Business continuity is a key issue of crisis response management and a destination should aim, as 

far as practicable, to maintain normal services to visitors and operators wherever possible. Business 

continuity issues to be considered by the crisis management team include: 

• identification of visitors’ needs and the provision of essential support services; 

• priorities for restoration of facilities, services and infrastructure; 

• resources and budget requirements; 

• tactical (short-term) and strategic (longer-term) business issues; 

• media management; 

• public relations issues and arrangements; 

• consultation with government/politicians/community leaders; 

• environmental management issues; and 

• alternative means and sites of operation. 

4. Recovery 

The crisis management strategy of recovery is concerned with the restoration and rehabilitation of 

regional tourism and its return to full functioning. Business continuity starts with the response to a 

crisis: taking the earliest opportunity to identify and resolve problems which will disrupt regional 

tourism operations; to identify strategies and the resources required to restore normal functioning; 

and to secure the cooperation and assistance of government and community leaders for the crisis 

response and recovery processes. 

It is certainly in the community’s economic best interests for tourism operators and destinations to be 

assisted in restoring business activities to pre-crisis levels. 

Examples of this following the events of September 11 are included in the Appendices. Many Asia- 

Pacific nations also provided business incentives to protect their tourism interests following the SARS 

outbreak. For example, the Thai Government arranged: 

• special low interest loans with flexible conditions for travel agents, hotels and other tourism 

industry operators through the newly established Small and Medium Size Enterprises 

Development Bank of Thailand, and the Industrial Finance Corporation of Thailand (IFCT); 

and 

• intensive training programs for tourism industry personnel, jointly organized by the Ministry of 

Tourism and Sports, the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, and with the cooperation of 

the Tourism Council of Thailand. 

(Source: Thai Vice Minister of Tourism and Sports, Mr Krirk-Krai Jirapaet, in a speech delivered to 

the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Summit on Crisis Management, Manila, 18 June 2003.) 


Recovery Processes 

Just as no two crises will ever be the same, so each crisis recovery process will have a life of its own 

and will generate different problems requiring a range of knowledge and skills and, above all, the 

willingness and ability to adapt to changing circumstances. Once the immediate crisis is over, it’s 

necessary to establish what you’re left with: how has it affected regional tourism business, and what 

still has to be done to return operations to normal? The crisis management team should provide the 

core members of the recovery management team, but it may also need to include representatives of 

relevant government departments and agencies, and community leaders. 

Recovery decision-making processes will be dependent upon information and an accurate 

assessment of the: 

• residual effects upon regional tourism operations; 

• existing damage to property and infrastructure; 

• causes of ongoing disruption to services; 

• consequences of the crisis for tourism destinations and surrounding communities; and 

• personnel, equipment and measures needed to deal with the recovery operation. 

Crisis recovery management tasks include: 

• establishing recovery objectives; 

• identifying priorities of action; 

• identifying current and future needs and identifying sources of assistance; 

• communicating with regional tourism operators; 

• liaising with relevant government and non-government agencies and community leaders; 

• briefing media, government and other agencies on crisis recovery activities; 

• monitoring the restoration of business operations; 

• tactical and strategic business continuity planning; and 

• decision-making. 

The destination’s crisis management team should monitor and evaluate community perceptions and 

reactions to the crisis to identify and address any community concerns. The public may have 

misinterpreted actions taken, or may be angry about perceived inaction by destinations or tourism 

operators during the crisis, and any misconceptions need to be addressed as they may have 

negative effects upon community support and the return to normal operations. 

Debriefing Processes 

Debriefings must be conducted following any crisis response or exercise to analyse the management 

and outcomes of the crisis and to gain the information necessary to improve plans, procedures and 

the training of personnel. Lessons from debriefing processes must be identified and acted upon to 

ensure the continual improvement of crisis management capabilities, and these lessons should be 

shared with other regional tourism organizations and the industry’s international associations so that 

the wider visitor industry can benefit. 


A further important purpose of debriefing, too, is to formally acknowledge the efforts of personnel 

during the crisis. 

Debriefings should follow a standard format to ensure that every aspect is adequately addressed. 

The following aide-memoir provides a useful tool for tourism crisis managers: 

Aide-Memoir for Crisis Debriefing 

• What happened? 

o Known event or sequence of events which caused the crisis. 

• What did we do? 

o Sequence of actions taken by the crisis management team in response to 

the crisis. 

• How well did it work? 

o What worked and what didn’t and why was this the case? 

• Knowing what we now know, can we do better? 

o Can our plans be improved? 

o Do we need more or different training and exercises? 

o Do we need better liaison with government departments and community agencies? 

o Was our media management effective? 

o Did we identify and meet visitors’ needs to their satisfaction? 

o Do we need better or different communications? 

o Do we need a different or amended crisis management system? 

o Was our tourism risk management process effective? 

Following debriefing, the planning committee should: 

• analyse debriefing discussions and outcomes; 

• identify planning, training and operational needs; 

• identify timelines and allocate responsibilities; 

• revise and update the crisis management plan, as required; 

• organize additional training for personnel as necessary; and 

• test and evaluate revised plans and procedures and personnel. 

Debriefing should take place within a few weeks of the crisis itself while events are still clear in 

people’s minds. 

Phuket Tourism Risk Management Strategy 

The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami devastated many of the coastal areas of Phuket Province in 

Thailand. All businesses were affected to some degree. Tourism is the main economic activity in 

Phuket and it suffered a severe downturn as pictures and reports of the disaster spread around the 

world within hours of the tsunami striking the coast. 

The Thai Government Ministry of Tourism and Sport, through the Office of Tourism Development, 


determined that Phuket and other tourism regions of Thailand should be better equipped to deal 

with future crises and disasters which may impact on tourism and the Thai economy. With 

assistance from the APEC International Centre for Sustainable Tourism (AICST) they embarked on 

a project to develop and implement a tourism risk management strategy for Phuket and for this 

project to be a model for the development of similar strategies in other tourism destinations in the 

country. 

The intention was to develop the knowledge, skills and experience of a team of local Thai 

government officials and industry representatives, so that they would be able to replicate the work in 

other areas. It was designed to be a capacity building project in addition to actually developing a 

tourism risk management strategy. 

The project commenced in March 2006 with the formation of a Thai Operational Team (TOT) who 

would develop and implement the strategy. The TOT represented all of the government and private 

sector agencies and organizations related to tourism. This included the Police, Health, Education, 

Defence, Meteorological Bureau and other national government agencies in addition to the Phuket 

Governor's office, local government representatives and business and tourism organizations. The 

project is due for completion in February 2007. 

AICST contracted the services of the Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre (ADPC) in Bangkok to 

assist with the management of the project. The role of AICST and ADPC is to provide information 

and processes and guide the Office of Tourism Development and the TOT in their work. 

Workshops were conducted where the TOT identified potential risks to tourism. These included 

risks from both man-made and natural hazards. The risks were analysed and prioritized in 

accordance with risk management processes outlined in this guide and actions were identified to 

treat them. 

This Phuket Tourism Risk Management Strategy, when completed, should contain a summary of all 

potential risks, the relevant government agencies that have responsibilities for dealing with each of 

them, and additional actions which the tourism industry can take to ensure the safety and security of 

visitors and tourism business employees. It should provide real linkages between the government 

agencies’ and the tourism industry’s actions and strengthen destination Phuket's capabilities in 

being prepared for, and dealing with, any future crises that impact on tourism. 

This is the first case identified anywhere in the region where a destination has taken a classic risk 

management approach (as outlined in this guide) to develop a risk management strategy using a 

multi-stakeholder group. It was not without challenges and problems and some valuable lessons 

have been learnt. 

The need to inform and brief all the stakeholder groups comprehensively and individually before the 

project commenced, was underestimated. It quickly became apparent that agencies and 

organizations had different understandings and appreciation of what risk management meant and 

did not fully comprehend what the project was intended to deliver. This was addressed after the first 

workshop but in future, needs to be undertaken before the work commences. It is important that 

each stakeholder not only understands the project but is also able to consider the implications, 

features and benefits of such a strategy to their own agency or organization. 

There was insufficient emphasis given initially to gaining the commitment and ownership of the 

private sector tourism organizations. This has also since been addressed, however progress could 

have been faster had this been fully covered at the start. 

It was not until after the project commenced that it became apparent that a number of the 

government agencies had developed their own specific disaster management strategies as a result 


of the tsunami; for matters such as terrorism, crime, the outbreak of medical pandemics, etc. Each 

of these strategies had a potential impact on the destination and tourism operators and associated 

businesses, however the tourism industry was having difficulty in responding to the implications of 

these various individual strategies. It was necessary to gather information on each of these 

strategies and it was decided to include tourism's response to these strategies in the new Tourism 

Risk Management Strategy. 

The Phuket Tourism Risk Management Strategy is a brave new initiative by the Phuket tourism 

industry and the associated government agencies. It has already been demonstrated that much can 

be achieved by all working together. The tourism industry and its organizations will have one 

strategy to manage, which will focus on all potential risks. It will provide roles and responsibilities for 

each tourism organization to undertake. It is expected that it will take a few years for the industry to 

fully address all of the possible actions that need to be taken. Government support and funding may 

also be required to assist with implementation of some actions, such as staff training. 

This is still a work in progress, but an important start for Phuket and Thai tourism to address critical 

strategic risk issues facing the industry in the future. By being more knowledgeable and aware; 

better prepared and more able to manage the impacts of a crisis; the destination will be stronger, 

safer and more secure for visitors and should be more competitive on the world tourism stage. 



This chapter examines the crisis management strategies of prevention/mitigation, preparedness, 

response and recovery for a destination. It suggests the composition of, and tasks for, a destination’s 

crisis planning committee; identifies the key elements of a crisis response management plan; 

examines the training and exercising (testing) needs of an destination’s crisis management team; 

examines business continuity processes; and describes crisis recovery processes including 

debriefing. The chapter also highlights the need for destinations and operators to work with relevant 

government agencies and community organizations to develop effective partnerships for crisis 

management. 

Checklists for prevention, preparedness, response and recovery follow on the next pages. 

References 

Page, S., Yeoman, I., Munro, C., Connell, J. and Walker, L. (2006), ‘A case study of best practice— 

Visit Scotland’s prepared response to an influenza pandemic’, Tourism Management. Volume 27, 

pp.361-393 


Checklist for Prevention 

1. Have you conducted a risk management process which 

identifies, analyses, evaluates and treats risk to your 

destination or business? 

YES 

2. Are you continuing to monitor and evaluate new 

 

sources of risk? 

3. Do you monitor and evaluate the progress of risk 

 

treatment measures? 

4. Have you conducted a recent SWOT analysis? 

5. Do you attend multi-agency disaster management 

meetings or maintain information on their current 

activities? 

 

 

6. Have you established effective liaison with regional or 

national disaster management agencies? 

7. Have you established liaison with industry 

organizations, government agencies and community 

leaders/ 

8. Have you established an effective working relationship 

with the media? 

 

 

 

 

NO 

 

 

 

 


Checklist for Preparedness 

1. Have you established a tourism crisis planning 

committee? 

2. Has the committee developed a tourism crisis 

management plan which: 

YES 

• describes activation procedures? 

• allocates roles and responsibilities? 

• identifies control and coordination arrangements? 

• includes Standard Operating Procedures? 

• identifies information management requirements? 

• establishes communications methods? 

• describes public relations and media management 

arrangements? 

• includes response, recovery and business 

 

 

continuity? 

3. Has the committee identified training needs? 

4. Has regular training been developed and organized, 

 

including induction training for new staff? 

5. Has the committee conducted/scheduled regular mock 

 

exercises? 

6. Has the committee included informal (discussion) 

exercises as part of its normal meeting routine? 

 

 

 

 

NO 

 

 


Checklist for Response 

YES NO 

1. Have you activated your crisis management team and 

 

crisis management centre? 

2. Has the team identified information needs and sources? 

3. Have you assessed the: 

• effects of the crisis upon regional tourism? 

• damage to property and infrastructure? 

• disruption to services? 

• consequences of the crisis? 

• personnel, equipment and measures needed? 

4. Has the team identified business continuity issues and 

 

priorities? 

5. Are tactical and strategic plans being developed? 

6. Have you established a media centre and appointed a 

 

media spokesperson? 

7. Are visitors’ needs being identified and met? 

8. Have you established liaison and communications with 

 

government officials, community leaders and 

emergency services? 

9. Are media reports being monitored for accuracy? 


Checklist for Recovery 

YES NO 

1. Have you activated your crisis recovery team? 

2. Does it include relevant government officials and 

 

community leaders? 

3. Has the committee established: 

• residual effects upon tourism? 

• existing damage? 

• causes of ongoing disruption to services? 

• consequences of the crisis for the organization and 

the community? 

• personnel, equipment and measures needed? 

4. Has the committee identified: 

• recovery objectives? 

• priorities of action? 

• current and future needs and sources of 

assistance? 

• relevant government and non-government agencies 

and community leaders? 

• tactical and strategic business continuity plans? 

5. Is the committee overseeing continuing media 

 

management and public relations activities? 

6. Have staff and visitors’ emotional and physical needs 

 

been identified and met? 

7. Are community perceptions and media reports being 

 

monitored? 

8. Have debriefing processes been organized? 

 

 

 

 

 

 


CHAPTER 5: MEDIA AND COMMUNICATION 

Aim of This Chapter 

The aim of this chapter is to describe the role of the media and communication (including the role of 

Government Travel Advisories) in tourism crisis situations. It identifies the importance of the role of 

the media and as a conduit of information to the community and travellers. The chapter also 

establishes a systematic method of working with the media for destination managers. 

Introduction 

It has been estimated that a remarkable 25% of all news stories involve disasters or crises of some 

sort. Disasters attract the media in very large numbers, and it's not hard to see why. Disasters are 

spectacular, action-orientated, dramatic events which routinely feature human suffering and feats of 

endurance and bravery. From a media perspective they are relatively easy to cover, provide ample 

opportunity for dramatic photographs, and are guaranteed to attract an audience or sell newspapers. 

Disaster and crisis events inevitably prove an irresistible combination for the media, and for the 

general public who will be avid consumers of what the media produces. 

News will normally be reported as soon as it becomes available, and this is the case regardless of 

how inadequate the initial information is, or how uncertain the source. The advances in modern 

technology mean that news stories and pictures can be transmitted around the world within minutes. 

Even if the media isn't present in the initial stage of a disaster or crisis, members of the public will be, 

with mobile telephones and video cameras in hand, and their pictures will be accessed by the media 

and transmitted. Passengers in the London Underground rail system following the bombings in July 

2005, were transmitting pictures to the media from their wrecked carriages and as they evacuated 

through tunnels to safety. 

Media personnel usually have little understanding of the fact that in the confused aftermath of a 

disaster, information may be difficult or impossible to obtain. This can make them suspect that 

authorities are hiding information from them when the truth is that it just isn't available. 

Journalists are usually generalists, not specialists. This means that they are unlikely to have any 

depth of understanding of a disaster or crisis event, the cause, effects or the necessary response and 

recovery processes. They can, therefore, easily misunderstand what they see and hear. 

In the case of a tourism crisis, it is essential that local tourism operators only comment to the media 

on matters which are within the scope of their responsibilities and that they do not comment on 

operational matters which are the responsibility of emergency services or disaster management 

agencies. 

Patterns of Media Reporting 

There is a clear and predictable pattern of media reporting of disasters, so tourism operators and the 

industry will be able to predict the media focus and anticipate the information media representatives 

will be seeking: 

• In the initial stages, the media will report the extent and effects, concentrating on the facts of the 

situation. 

• The next focus (maybe one to two days later) is on the human interest side, in particular the 

heroes of the event and the hardships suffered by victims. 


• The third stage is identifying who is to blame: how did it happen, who didn't do what they should 

have done to stop it or to reduce the effects? Then, how do we stop it happening again? 

Managing the Media 

The aim must always be to work with the media, not against them: so the media should be managed 

appropriately; cooperation is always preferable to confrontation; and, most importantly, it must be 

remembered that the media is the communication medium from the tourism operator or industry to 

the wider community and prospective travellers. The media is a key element in any risk management 

strategy for a tourism destination. 

Guidelines for the Visitor Industry 

Risk management strategies are necessary to help retain the confidence of travellers and the travel 

industry, and to minimize the impact of a crisis on the destination. 

No matter what kind of crisis occurs, though, the techniques for dealing with it effectively are similar. 

Effective communication based on the principles of honesty and transparency is the key to 

successful crisis management, but other aspects of tourism also need to be involved, especially: 

• Promotion; 

• Safety and security; and 

• Market research. 

The following guidelines in this chapter draw heavily upon an excellent report by the United Nations 

World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) titled, Crisis Guidelines for the Tourism Industry, by Deborah 

Luhrman. This work was distributed to delegates at the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Summit on Crisis 

Management in Manila, 18 June 2003. The guidelines suggest specific actions to take before, during, 

and after, a crisis. 

The goal is to have visitors returning to a destination as quickly as possible. Effective media 

management techniques can speed up that process. 

Normally, a regional or local tourism organization would take the responsibility for the development of 

a communication strategy for a destination, as they would have the resources and experience for 

dealing with the media and communicating with key industry partners and potential visitors in all 

markets. 

I. Before a Crisis: Preparing for the Worst 

Never underestimate the potential harm a crisis can do to tourism. The best way to minimize its 

impact is to be well prepared to respond to, and recover from, its effects. 

A) Putting a communications strategy in place: 

• Prepare a communication management plan 

A crisis can take many different forms, so your planning process should be based upon realistic 

worst-case scenarios. Audit current resources available to deal with a crisis. Designate roles and 

responsibilities and establish a chain of command for decision-making. Collect and maintain a current 

list of key contacts. Involve public services and private tourism companies in the planning process - 

one key to effective communication management is a cooperative working relationship between 

agencies and organizations. Test your plans, procedures and personnel through exercises held 


annually as a minimum, and then review and amend your plans and training programs subsequent to 

each exercise and after any activation of the plans. 

• Designate spokespersons 

It is essential that information to the media be coordinated and provided by an authoritative source. 

The designated spokesperson should be a senior, suitably trained, and credible destination 

representative. Additional trained spokespersons must also be designated as a crisis may extend 

over many days. Personnel should undergo specific media training including regular practice in mock 

news conferences and rehearsals. 

• Establish a press and communications unit 

Every tourism destination should have a communications unit. This unit would normally be located 

within the regional or local tourism organization office and should include staff trained in working with 

the media, a contact list of local and international media, several telephone lines, fax broadcast 

machines, a mass email computer program, and background information on the destination - 

including maps, stock photos, arrivals statistics and fact sheets on previous crises. If possible, this 

background information should be available in a special media section of the destination’s website. 

• Communicate regularly with media 

Relationships can take years to develop, so it is important to communicate regularly with the media, 

in good times as well as bad. The policy should be one of honesty and transparency. You can 

establish your credibility and an effective working relationship with the media by supplying them with 

information about what is new in your destination; by responding promptly to questions they have, 

and by providing the opportunity for familiarization visits for journalists. 

• Pay attention to local media 

Local newspapers, television and radio are a primary source of information for the international 

media. In a crisis, local news reports can go global within minutes. So even though your principal 

target is media in the main generating markets, you cannot afford to ignore local journalists. They will 

also continue to report the crisis recovery story long after the international media has departed. 

• Train spokespersons in safety and security issues 

Communication on security matters should be in response to a relevant crisis situation, rather than 

proactive. When a crisis erupts, the spokesperson should be able to communicate in an authoritative 

manner, but striking a balance between providing sufficient information and providing unnecessary 

detail and emphasis on security issues. According to one tourism minister experienced in such 

matters: “You do security, you don’t talk about it”. 

B) Promotion planning 

• Develop a database of partners in the travel trade 

A database should be maintained of all tour operators sending visitors to your destination, major 

travel agencies and transport companies in your key generating markets, incoming operators and 

tour organizers, as well as local hotels, transport companies, local promotion boards and tourism 

associations. 

• Build an email or fax broadcast system 

Communication systems capable of reaching the partners in your database should be in place for 

use in a crisis. But begin routine communication of news to your partners before a crisis strikes. If 

you only communicate during times of crisis, the image transmitted will be a negative one. 


• Be honest and ethical in promotion 

Just as in communication, building and maintaining credibility is fundamental in tourism promotion. 

Avoid overselling or misrepresenting your destination and be ethical in the choice of promotional 

content, or you could create your own crisis. The Bahamas, for example, was heavily criticized in the 

international media for using photos in its advertising that were taken in Hawaii, the Seychelles and 

Florida. 

• Set aside budget reserves for emergencies 

Recuperating from a crisis requires money for additional promotion and communication activities. A 

prudent destination management organization will set aside an emergency fund for use in a crisis. 

Establish efficient methods of accessing these funds when required. 

• Stay out of the Travel Advisory War 

Ideally, Government Travel Advisories should be issued in accordance with Article 6 of UNWTO’s 

Global Code of Ethics for Tourism, which states: 

“...governments should issue such information without prejudicing in an unjustified or exaggerated 

manner the tourism industry of host countries and the interests of their own operators”. 

The purpose of travel advisories is to ensure that travellers are well-informed and well-prepared for 

travel overseas, and to help them avoid dangers and difficulties. They provide up-to-date information 

about the security environment in a particular country, including possible terrorist threats or problems 

with law and order. They also provide advice on a range of practical issues such as visa 

requirements, health and medical issues, cultural or religious differences, etc. Travel advisories 

should be reviewed and updated as appropriate. 

• Improve communication of security issues with visitors 

Make visitor safety and emergency information available on your destination website. Some of the 

most useful information to include is: emergency telephone numbers; exchange rates; design of 

banknotes; common rules of behaviour; places to avoid travelling; safe places to leave luggage; 

average prices of common purchases; the need to report crimes before a visitor returns home; and 

the importance of keeping photocopies of travel documents. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) 

website, for example, includes information on tough laws aimed at ending child prostitution and urges 

visitors to report incidents. 

• Encourage visitors to learn food safety practices 

The World Health Organization has prepared an excellent booklet of advice called “Safe Food for 

Travellers”. Adapt this information on how to avoid illness while travelling for use in promotional 

material, especially on the destination website or provide a link to the booklet on the WHO website: 

www.who.int/fsf/Documents/brochure/travellers.PDF. 

C) Reviewing security systems 

• Maintain a working relationship with other government agencies responsible for safety 

and security 

Decisions made by government agencies such as; police, emergency services, health, consumer 

affairs, judiciary, foreign affairs, and civil defence have a great influence on how a crisis involving 

visitors is managed. Start a Safety and Security Working Group to meet regularly to discuss tourism 

issues. In South Africa, for example, the Tourism Safety Task Group is made up of the Department of 

Environmental Affairs and Tourism, the national police, the tourism board (SATOUR), the Tourism 

Business Council, the Department of Foreign Affairs and nine provincial tourism departments (see 

Case Study in Chapter 3). 


• Get involved in defining security procedures 

Tourism authorities need to be aware of all security measures being taken that affect their industry. 

Review the entire tourism chain - airport arrivals, ground transport, hotels, restaurants, shopping 

zones and all tourism sites. Consider the need for enhanced security at all sites, including beaches or 

entertainment districts. The goal is to provide a safe environment with procedures that are as 

invisible as possible and do not restrict the arrival of visitors. 

• Maintain information on visitor safety and security 

Tourism industry bodies at the national, state/provincial and local levels should liaise with other 

government bodies, specialized services and the tourism sector on safety and security issues. They 

should also keep records on basic facts of tourism security such as rules and regulations, 

identification of risks, safety statistics and incidents. In addition, information should be shared with 

counterpart organizations around the world. 

• Train local personnel in security issues 

Government and industry tourism organizations can take an active role in improving safety and 

security by sponsoring workshops on safety issues for local tourism workers and by encouraging 

partnerships between public and private security companies in the tourism sector, including local 

police and hotel security guards. In addition, they should undertake community awareness programs 

that help local residents recognize the value of tourism to their communities. They can help make it 

safer for visitors by reporting suspicious activities. 

• Establish tourism police and emergency call centres 

Special tourism police forces, such as ones in Argentina, Australia, the Dominican Republic, Egypt, 

Greece and Malaysia, are trained to offer assistance in several languages. Mexico’s Green Angels 

patrol the highways with bilingual crews (see Case Study in Chapter 3). Other countries offer call 

centres with multilingual operators to handle emergencies involving visitors. Information on how to 

contact these emergency services needs to be communicated clearly to visitors on arrival. 

D) Research readiness 

• Facilitate information exchange systems with key tourism operators 

Set up arrangements with local hotels, airlines and tour operators for the provision of up-to-theminute 

data on overnight stays, occupancy rates, pricing, etc. Establish an email or fax system 

capable of receiving this data from these key partners. 

• Monitor hospital admissions involving visitors 

Information on non-crisis situation hospital admissions of visitors can be used as a point of 

comparison to put any possible problems in the future in perspective. 

• Monitor crimes against visitors 

Statistics on crimes against visitors can help experts find gaps in security services, improve the 

quality of the destination and help avoid crisis-scale problems in the future. Crime statistics can also 

be used as background information, providing a context for crisis communication and a reference 

point for demonstrating a return to normalcy. 

II. Minimizing Damage 

The first 24 hours of a crisis are crucial. An ineffective and unprofessional response can exacerbate 

the situation for the destination, but responsible management of the crisis can enhance relations with 

the travel trade and facilitate the destination’s recovery process. 

A) Communications from the front line 


• Be honest and transparent 

To protect your credibility, adopt a policy of full disclosure about what is known and what is not 

known. Deliver facts in a non-patronizing manner. Don't try to cover up mistakes, mislead or withhold 

critical information. The media will uncover the facts and then make you look dishonest or inept. 

Relate to your audience - you are not talking to experts, so communicate your message in terms and 

language that people can understand. 

• Do not impose a news blackout 

Failure to provide information to the media will not only deprive you of the chance to express your 

point of view, it will also force the media to seek alternative news sources that may provide 

inaccurate information which will be detrimental to the destination. 

• Establish a media centre 

The media will seek out an authoritative organization for comments and assistance immediately, so 

set aside an area they can use that is equipped with desks, phones and data lines. Use it for media 

briefings. If the crisis occurs in a remote location, set up a second media centre there with a second 

spokesperson who is in constant communication with the headquarters. Work with security or 

emergency services to help photographers and camera crews gain photo opportunities. 

• Act fast 

News travels around the world in a matter of seconds. In order to work effectively with the media, you 

need to respond as quickly as they do. Begin to release information once you are ready to answer 

the five key questions: who, what, where, when, and why? When accurate, up-to-date information is 

not available, say so and promise to get back to the journalists as soon as possible. Set up a 

timetable for regular media briefings. Provide background information on your destination. 

• Remember the victims 

The first communication about the crisis should include information about what is being done to help 

the victims. News about economic losses to the tourism industry comes across as insensitive where 

loss of life or injury is concerned. Tourism is a humane industry and needs to show its 

compassionate face in a crisis. As an example: when two French sunbathers were run over during a 

police chase recently on Miami Beach, the tourism director immediately arranged to fly in the grieving 

parents, he met them personally at the airport and spent the evening with the family in hospital. His 

personal involvement, rather than police negligence, was the focus of the story that ran in the 

morning newspaper. 

• Avoid speculation and categorical reassurances 

Speculation about what caused a crisis or who is to blame is not the responsibility of the tourism 

operators or industry. Not only would doing so create problems in your relationship with the disaster 

management agencies, the media thrives on conflict and will use different messages from different 

agencies to suggest conflict or a lack of cooperation, thus creating doubt about the efficiency of 

response and recovery operations. It is vital that you don't release any information or provide 

comment on any matter concerned with the crisis which is not strictly a tourism responsibility. 

• Put the crisis into context 

Use maps and statistics to demonstrate that the crisis is limited to a specific area or that it has only 

affected a portion of your country’s tourism industry. When highly publicized health problems among 

British visitors to the Dominican Republic created a crisis in 1997, part of the recovery strategy was 

to demonstrate through statistics that less than one percent of the two million British visitors in the 

previous year had fallen ill. This fact emphasized that hundreds of thousands of people had travelled 

safely to the Dominican Republic. 


• Challenge untrue statements 

Monitor media reports and contact media outlets making mistakes in reporting immediately - before 

the inaccuracies can be repeated by other journalists. Be prepared with facts and offer interviews or 

other assistance. 

• Use the media spotlight to highlight positive aspects 

During the crisis period, you have an invaluable opportunity to brief reporters in depth on your 

destination. Work positive details into news releases, for example, new tourism developments, 

growth statistics or how important tourism is to the community. Identify human-interest stories, such 

as local residents helping victims. 

• Place information about the crisis on website 

The internet allows each tourism destination to become its own news channel. Communicate directly 

to potential visitors over your destination website, emphasizing which areas are affected by the crisis 

and which are unaffected, as well as describing what is being done to restore normal services and 

business. Be honest and factual. Update the information on a daily basis. 

• Network with other news sources 

Other organizations providing information on the crisis to the media, such as police, disaster relief, 

airlines, hotel associations, tour operator groups and international organizations such as the UNWTO 

and the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) should be kept informed about your response so that 

they can refer to it in their communications. Let these partners know how to reach your spokesperson 

in order to correct any possible errors or request more information. Your media officer should liaise 

regularly with the media liaison officers appointed by other responding organizations. 

B) Hard decisions about promotion 

• Communicate directly with travel trade 

Don’t make your key partners rely on the media for information about the crisis. Provide details about 

the extent of damage and disruption to services, what is being done to assist victims, how disaster 

management or security services are working to end the crisis and what is being done to make sure it 

doesn’t happen again. UK tour operators have successfully used conference calls in crisis situations 

to link up the various people responsible for safety, promotion and tourism policy so that everyone is 

getting the same information at the same time. Familiarization trips organized for tour operators 

during or immediately following the crisis are the best way to allow them to assess the situation for 

themselves. 

• Change promotional message to address safety concerns 

Rather than suspending promotion, immediately change the message to reflect the current situation 

and address safety concerns about the destination. Advertising should express sympathy for victims 

and provide information about what is being done to restore normal services and business. Use ads 

to direct potential visitors to a hotline or website for more detailed information. After the oil tanker 

Prestige sank off the Spanish coast, for example, huge billboards sponsored by the regional tourism 

board were erected, thanking Madrid residents for their concern over the crisis. 

• Press ahead with promotional events and travel shows 

The travel trade needs to understand that your destination is stable and not going to disappear 

because of the crisis. The best way to demonstrate that is to press ahead with scheduled promotional 

events, where possible and appropriate. A crisis will undoubtedly create more attention for a 

destination at a trade show and allow more opportunities to communicate positive developments, and 

provide up-to-date information. 


• Seek increases in promotional budgets 

A crisis usually results in more government attention for the tourism industry than it would receive 

under normal circumstances. Use the opportunity to seek increases in promotional budgets which will 

be needed to help the industry recover and stimulate visitors to return. 

• Initiate financial assistance and/or fiscal measures to support tourism companies 

Governments need to work closely with the industry in difficult times to ensure that there is not a 

damaging loss of product that could limit recovery. Temporary tax incentives, subsidies, reduced 

airport charges and free visas are some of the measures taken to encourage tour operators, airlines, 

and cruise companies to continue operating immediately following a crisis. 

• Set up a hotline 

If there is an emergency call centre in operation, it can become the hotline for inquiries from visitors 

and their families. If there is no call centre, one needs to be set up immediately with multilingual 

operators who have a good understanding of security issues. A sample hotline questionnaire is 

included in UNWTO’s Handbook on Natural Disaster Reduction in Tourism Areas. Promote the 

existence of the hotline in news briefings and on the destination website. 

• Monitor what is being done to improve safety and security 

Participate in inter-agency meetings to brief them on your tasks and situation and to identify the 

progress of response and recovery activities; keep your organization and industry informed about 

what disaster management or security services are doing to address issues and improve safety. 

• Coordinate with disaster management agencies to arrange media access 

Where possible, try to help organize reasonable media access to the stricken area through the 

disaster management agencies. Some years ago, a Caribbean country tried to restrict access to an 

area hit by a hurricane. CNN simply hired a helicopter to fly over and take ‘exclusive’ pictures of the 

devastation. The images were all the more powerful because they were ‘banned’ by authorities. 

• Communicate internally 

In the heat of a crisis, internal communication often gets overlooked. But it is important to keep all 

tourism staff up to date with what is being done to end it. Not only does it strengthen the tourism 

team, it can also prevent incorrect information being spread. 

C) Quick research tactics 

• Get to know your visitors 

Send out survey teams to find out who is travelling during the crisis, where they come from and why, 

then feed information back immediately to the promotion department. 

• Monitor media reports 

Keep track of what is being published and broadcast about your destination and feed that information 

back to the communications and promotion departments. Even if media monitoring is normally the 

responsibility of the communications department, they will be stretched too thin during a crisis and 

will appreciate the assistance. 

III. Recovering Visitor Confidence 

While media attention moves quickly to fresh stories, the damage wrought by a crisis can stay in the 

minds of potential visitors for a long time. Recovery demands a redoubling of efforts, especially in the 

areas of communications and promotion. 


A) Image building communications 

• Be proactive in communications 

Promote what you are doing to restore tourism to normalcy. Brief journalists on your recovery plans 

and how long it will take for them to have effect. Provide plentiful information, including copies of 

speeches, editorial pieces, maps and photos. Recovery from a crisis requires extra budgetary and 

human resources allocated to communication. 

• Look for positive news 

Gear news items to reflect the normalcy of tourism activity, for example, the arrival of specialized tour 

groups or the opening of new attractions. The goal is to demonstrate ‘business as usual’ in your 

destination. Egypt has effectively promoted the discovery or reopening of archaeological sites as part 

of its recovery strategy. Promote news not directly related to tourism, such as cultural events, 

scientific discoveries, sporting triumphs, film shoots and shopping trends. 

• Increase familiarization trips for journalists 

Invite the press back to show them what has been achieved. Target the theme of the familiarization 

trip to address your particular image problem and make sure it includes plenty of contact between 

journalists and local residents. Concentrate on positive television coverage to counteract the harmful 

effect of TV images of the crisis in the minds of potential visitors. The great thing about familiarization 

trips is that they allow plenty of time to establish relationships with individual journalists who may then 

be motivated to take a special interest in your country for years to come. 

• Remember anniversaries 

An area which has suffered a major crisis will be revisited by the media on key anniversaries - 100 

days, six months, one year, two years, and ten years. These dates offer a good opportunity to 

communicate, so be prepared with materials and stories that reflect the recovery of the destination. 

• Anticipate legal actions 

People affected by international incidents will lobby for investigations, make complaints and pursue 

lawsuits. If the media reports something inaccurate about you, write a letter to the editor to correct 

the matter. If someone takes you to court, the inaccurate media report could be produced as 

evidence and it does no good to claim it was not true. You will need evidence that you corrected the 

report at the time. 

• Create your own news outlet on the destination website 

Provide an alternative to mass media news sources on your own website. Make the website as 

newsy as possible, taking advantage of its unlimited space to provide in-depth information. To 

demonstrate that your website is providing up-to-date information it needs to include the day’s date in 

a prominent place. It should also be updated daily with positive stories that demonstrate a return to 

normalcy. 


B) Flexibility in promotion 

• Create new niche market products 

Packages should be targeted at the most resistant market segments such as golf, skiing, sporting 

events, culture, honeymoons. 

• Target experienced and special interest travellers 

Experienced travellers and repeat visitors are less likely to be deterred by a crisis. Individual 

travellers with a particular passion, be it scuba diving, mountain climbing, or archaeology, will go 

where they need to go to enjoy their hobby. 

• Create special price offers 

Rather than engaging in price wars in a crisis-stricken region, or slashing prices across the board, 

create special offers. Malaysia and Sri Lanka build their special offers around holiday weekends and 

festivals. The key is not necessarily to offer the cheapest prices, but rather to offer value-for-money. 

• Quickly shift promotion to most promising markets 

Be prepared to shift promotional campaigns to markets that promise the most resilience. Usually 

these are the source markets closest to home because travellers there are more familiar with your 

destination. But pay attention to research and beware of wasting money on markets that are not yet 

ready to travel. A joint Caribbean ad campaign recently launched to win back US visitors had little 

effect because Americans were still wary of going abroad. 

• Step up promotion to domestic market 

In larger countries, domestic tourism can make up for lack of foreign demand during the recovery 

period. The Bali Tourism Board began promoting to the domestic market following the terrorist 

bombing in order to keep hotels functioning. Persian Gulf visitors vacationed closer to home and kept 

hotels in Dubai, Bahrain and other Arab countries operating following the September 11 attacks. 

Tourism officials were surprised to discover they spent more than long-haul visitors. 

• Increase familiarization trips for tour operators and special events 

As soon as the situation permits, bring in tour operators and travel agents to see what has been done 

to restore the destination. Organize special events and meetings to create an opportunity to 

communicate with your partners in the travel trade and with the international community. 

• Take travel advisories seriously 

Establish contact with governments that have issued travel advisories against the destination. 

Provide a regular flow of information on the crisis, including details of the exact location of the 

incident, what is being done to make the area more secure and where and when it is safe for visitors 

to travel. Begin lobbying relevant governments and invite representatives to see the situation 

themselves. 

• Intensify cooperation 

A crisis brings people together in a spirit of solidarity and cooperation that is essential to a quick 

recovery. Improve coordination among tourism promotion boards throughout the country and 

redouble collaboration between public and private sectors in marketing campaigns. Also explore the 

possibility of multi-country regional promotions and products. 


C) Security for the future 

• Evaluate security procedures 

Following a crisis, it is necessary to re-assess security systems to ensure they are adequate. 

Security should be as unobtrusive as possible and not deter tourism from resuming. Use new 

security measures to reassure visitors of the importance you place on their safety and security. 

• Push to improve quality of services and facilities 

Encourage quality through feedback of survey results on visitor perceptions, by rewarding excellence 

and by setting up tourism complaint services. Visitors should have somewhere to complain if services 

do not meet expectations. Peru’s Visitor Protection Service (SPT), which operates under the 

auspices of the country’s consumer protection commission, provides this service by mediating 

complaints, providing general visitor information, and analysing data on the nature of complaints to 

help identify where improvement is needed. 

D) Using research effectively 

• Survey generating markets on perceptions of your destination 

Research potential visitors and survey your travel partners in primary source markets for readiness to 

travel and for information about their perceptions or apprehensions about your destination. Providing 

this information to promotion officials will allow them to tailor campaigns to correct damaging 

impressions. In order to begin changing perceptions, it is essential to know where you stand. 

UNWTO Crisis Action Team 

Responding quickly to a tourism crisis demands solidarity, flexibility and expertise. The UNWTO has 

put together a Crisis Action Team made up of 11 of the world’s top experts in the area of 

communication, marketing and promotion, and safety and security, all of them with solid experience 

collaborating with UNWTO. These professionals have agreed to make themselves available to help 

member countries hit by a crisis and to respond to requests for urgent assistance from the 

Secretary-General. The kind of assistance would be at the discretion of the Secretary-General and 

depend on the nature of the crisis, but could include such services as: audits of crisis preparedness, 

developing risk management plans, communication training seminars, providing advice by phone or 

email, or giving emergency on-site assistance during a crisis. 


• Government Travel Advisories 

Among the leading sources of information on identifying risk for the travelling public are Travel 

Advisories issued by various governments around the world. For example, Australia’s Department of 

Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) monitors current activities in more than 140 overseas destinations 

and provides advice to travellers through its travel information website: http://www.dfat.gov.au/travel 

/index.html. The advice covers a range of health and safety issues, including crime, infectious 

diseases, seismic activity and weather patterns. A similar service is offered to travellers by the British 

Foreign and Commonwealth Office (http://193.114.50.10/travel/); the US State Department 

(http://travel.state.gov/travel_warnings.html) and the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and 

International Trade (http://voyage.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/destinations /menu_e.htm). 

Foreign government monitoring is probably the best overall barometer of actual and perceived risk 

available to a travel destination. On 29 June 2006, for example, there were Travel Warnings issued 

by the US State Department for 29 countries. A Travel Warning is issued when they decide, based 


on all relevant information, to recommend that Americans avoid travel to a certain country. The 

Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade listed warnings against travel to 

six countries on the same date, and also recommended that travellers reconsider their need to travel 

to a further 14 countries. 

The US State Department also lists Public Announcements which are a means to disseminate 

information about terrorist threats and other relatively short-term and/or trans-national conditions 

posing significant risks to the security of American travellers. These are made any time there is a 

perceived threat and usually have Americans as the particular target group. In the past, Public 

Announcements have been issued to deal with short-term coups, bomb threats to airlines, violence 

by terrorists, and anniversary dates of specific terrorist events. 

While in a slightly different format, Australia’s DFAT issues essentially the same information as the 

US State Department, though it is interesting to note that at any one time some destinations may 

appear on one warning list but not another. 

Philippine Rebel 

Philippine terrorism has disturbed the country for at least three decades and has been carried out 

by different parties with different agendas. Some are the work of individuals and armed gangs to 

extort money and settle disputes, others are carried out by extremist groups. These include the 

communist New People’s Army, Abu Sayyaf and splinter groups from the Muslim separatist 

organizations, some are believed to have links with international terrorist groups including Jemaah 

Islamiah (Foreign & Commonwealth Office, 2003). 

Travel Advisories 

Due to the continuous threat of kidnappings, bombings and other violent incidents, many countries, 

including Korea, Canada, New Zealand, the UK and the US, have advised their citizens to avoid 

travelling to the southern Philippines where insurgent groups are active. Australia, the European 

Union and Canada have even closed their embassies in Manila temporarily because of terrorist 

threats. 

Tourism Statistics 

During three years of political unrest, international visitor arrivals have declined steadily in the 

Philippines. In 2000, total visitor arrivals were 1.99 million, a drop of 8.2% compared with 2.17 

million in 1999. In 2001, the number of visitors dropped further to 1.80 million which was 9.8% fewer 

than 2000. In terms of international tourism receipts, they have plummeted by 15.7% and 19.3% 

(2001) (Travel Industry Pub, 2002). The decline was due to a downturn in visits from the biggest 

markets, the US and Japan. Kidnappings and worries about air security after September 11 were 

the main causes. 

Although a decline continued in the first four months of 2002 (except February which had a modest 

3.7% rise), the situation was much improved in the remaining year despite travel advisories from 

several nations. Arrivals in May, June and July grew more than 10% year-on-year. August and 

September arrivals were up 5.7% and 15.2% respectively (Anonymous, 2002a). More visitors 

visited the Philippines in October despite a series of bomb attacks. Visitor arrivals posted a 36.7% 

growth compared to October 2001 (Anonymous, 2002b). The positive growth during these six 

months was the first in four years. 

Hotel Industry 

A week after the first mass kidnapping in April 2000, tour agents and hotels started receiving 

cancellations. The same happened after the Mindanao crisis. Although security was stepped up at 


visitor spots, resort managers reported a slew of cancellations. El Nido resort in northern Palawan 

had about a 15% cancellation rate (Hookway, 2001). Dos Palmas Island Resort, where Abu Sayyaf 

abducted 20 people in May 2001, had been closed since then for almost one year. 

Marketing Campaigns 

The tourism industry is one of the flagship industries under Philippine President Gloria Macapagal- 

Arroyo. A series of marketing campaigns has been launched in order to attract more visitors to the 

Philippines. 

Due to the instability and travel advisories focusing on the southern Philippines, President Arroyo 

has outlined a viable strategy to transform North Philippines and Aurora province into the country’s 

next premier investment and tourism destinations. A marketing campaign labelled “WOW 

Philippines!” has been launched by the DOT. WOW is the master acronym for Wealth of Wonders 

which reflects the country’s diverse offerings in tourism attractions (Department of Tourism, n.d.). 

The tourism promotions blitz covers three continents, including North America, Asia and Europe. 

Tourism Secretary Richard Gordon led a strong Philippine contingent with no less than fifty 

companies participating, in each leg of the road shows. The group comprised local government 

officials, travel trade and major supporters such as Philippine Airlines, Singapore and WG&A Super 

Ferry. The road shows and sales missions aimed to intensify marketing efforts for the country’s 

major target markets and, in particular, to launch “Visit Philippines 2003”, which was fully endorsed 

by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) (Paez, n.d.). With its target of drawing three million 

visitors, VPY 2003 seeks to promote the Philippines as a unique and multifaceted business and 

travel destination. It also aims to instil in every Filipino a sense of pride towards the country and its 

people (Umali, n.d.). 

Performance of the Philippine tourism industry has improved significantly since 2002 despite travel 

advisories from various countries and the continuous threat of terrorism. One reason for the 

success is that President Arroyo has been addressing the terrorist threat in the Philippines. Another 

critical reason lies in the aggressive tourism marketing and promotions to fuel tourism growth. It 

shows that in spite of the extent of crisis, visitor confidence can be rebuilt by the effort of the 

government in addressing the problem and by an effective marketing campaign. 

Enhancement of Security 

After the kidnapping by Abu Sayyaf in May 2001, police have bolstered security around popular 

resorts as part of Manila’s effort to rid the archipelago of its image as an unsafe visitor destination. 

Tourism Secretary Richard Gordon also pledged to deploy an extra 1,000 police officers at key 

visitor spots (Coleman, 2002). In the wake of the Korean diplomat’s killing in June 2002, police set 

up a special force of 1,700 men to protect embassies and other key foreign establishments in 

Manila (Madhur, 2002). Both private and public sectors in the Philippines undertook heightened 

security measures to protect visitors. For example, Dos Palmas Island Resort, where a mass 

kidnapping happened in May 2001, added security nets to control sea access to the resort. The 

Philippines government also expanded security measures in major airports and seaports to assure 

the safety of foreigners in the country. 

Government Policy and Actions against Terrorist Group 

The Philippine government policy towards abduction is that there will be no negotiation for any kind 

of ransom. However, the government has allowed the payment of ransom from members of 

hostages’ families. 

There has been constant military pressure on Abu Sayyaf since August 2000. In September, 

President Estrada ordered the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to commit over 1,500 troops 

into Jolo to conduct operations against Abu Sayyaf units that had taken foreign hostages in 

Malaysia. In the following year, President Arroyo ordered the AFP to deploy as many as 4,500 

troops into Basilan after the hostage-taking on Palawan. The government also offered a $2 million 


ounty for any information leading to the capture of Abu Sayyaf leaders and followers involved in 

the kidnapping (Hookway, 2001). AFP operations have apparently reduced Abu Sayyaf strength 

from the level of over 1000 in early 2000 to below 100 on Basilan and 500 on Jolo by December 

2001 (Niksch, 2003). 

US Involvement in Combating Terrorism 

Beginning in October 2001, The United States sent groups of military observers to Mindanao to 

assess AFP operations against Abu Sayyaf, render advice and examine AFP equipment needs. 

President Bush extended $93 million aid to the Philippines when President Arroyo visited 

Washington in 2001. However, President Arroyo insisted that the US military role should be 

advisory and that the AFP would retain full operational responsibility. By late December 2001, the 

AFP on Mindanao began to receive quantities of US military equipment (Niksch, 2003). Although 

terrorism remained active afterwards, President Arroyo reiterated that US troops would not be 

allowed to fight Muslim rebels in the southern Philippines (Anonymous, 2003). 

(Source: Based upon material provided by the Hong Kong Polytechnic University) 

Government travel advisories are clearly attaining a higher profile in the decision making of travellers 

and travel professionals on the suitability of tourism destinations. Consequently, there is a growing 

need to ensure that the information and warnings are credible, responsible, and based on a sober 

assessment of security risks, and that they are as free of political or cultural considerations as 

possible. 

From early 2003 the Australian travel industry sought and undertook a greater dialogue with DFAT to 

ensure that the tourism industry’s perspective was given due consideration in the formulation of 

advisories. DFAT, to its credit, was responsive to tourism industry overtures. As a result of extended 

negotiations conducted by representatives of Australian travel industry companies and associations 

under the auspices of Australian Federation of Travel Agents (AFTA), the Australian travel industry 

and DFAT (2003b) released the Charter for Safe Travel in June 2003. 

Charter for Safe Travel 

The Charter commits the Australian travel industry to disseminate Australian government travel 

advisories to travellers but it also commits the Australian government to maintaining a consultative 

dialogue with the travel industry and to include travel agents, airlines and tour operators as credible 

sources in determining the safety of destinations. The Australian Charter for Safe Travel is a model 

that tourism industries of many countries can adapt. It has the potential to be a precursor to the 

travel industry playing a global role in helping all governments determine travel advisories. 

Participating partners receive a certificate representing their commitment to the Charter’s principles. 

(Source: Courtesy of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australia) 


References 

Anonymous, 2002a, March 28, ‘Travel advisory – Philippines’, Travelpress, [online] 

http://global.factiva.com, accessed 14 August 2003 

Anonymous, 2002b, ‘November 8, Tourism up in Philippines in Oct Despite Bombings’, Reuters 

News. [online] http://global.factiva.com, accessed 14 August 2003 

Anonymous, 2003, March 5, ‘Philippine Police Question 5 for Airport Bombing; US Combat Role 

Ruled Out’, The Canadian Press, [online] http://global.factiva.com, accessed 14 August 2003 

Coleman, Z. 2002, February 6, ‘Tourism Industry in the Philippines Faces Tough Times. The Asian 

Wall Street Journal’, [online] http://global.factiva.com, accessed 9 July 2003 

Department of Tourism. (n.d.). ‘WTO fuels RP Plans for Visit Philippines 2003’, [online] 

www.wowphilippines.com.ph, accessed 30 August 2003 

Foreign & Commonwealth Office. 2003, August 20, ‘Country Advice – Philippines’, [online] 

www.fco.gov.uk, accessed 26 August 26 2003 

Hookway, J. 2001, May 29, ‘Kidnappers Stage Repeat Performance – Philippine Rebel Group Says 

Hostages are in Sulu Islands’. The Asian Wall Street Journal. [online] http://global.factiva.com, 

accessed 14 August 2003 

Madhur, S. (2002, July 20), ‘Battling a Violent Image. Townsville Bulletin’, [Online] Available: 

http://global.factiva.com, accessed 9 July 2003 

Niksch, L. 2003, ‘Abu Sayyaf: Target of Philippine-U.S. anti-terrorism cooperation’. In H.S. Calit (Ed.). 

The Philippines: Current Issues and Historical Background (pp. 3-10). New York: Nova Science 

Publishers. 

Paez, P.A.V. (n.d.), ‘Sec. Gordon on “Visit Philippines 2003" ‘Roadshow; Points to Latest 

Encouraging Trend in Philippine Tourism’, [online] www.wowphilippines.com.ph, accessed 30 August 

2003 

Travel Industry Pub. 2002, ‘Travel Industry World Yearbook – The Big Picture’. New York: Travel 

Industry Publishing Company. 

Umali, T.G. (n.d.), ‘Strong Support Expected for TRICON in Region I and CAR’, [online] 

www.wowphilippines.com.ph, accessed 28 August 2003 


APPENDIX A: GLOSSARY OF TERMS 

The following definitions used throughout the guide are from AS/NZS 4360:2004 Risk Management, 

and Emergency Management Australia’s Emergency Risk Management Applications Guide, Second 

Edition, 2004. 

Community 

A group of people with a commonality of association and generally defined by location, shared 

experience, or function. 

Consequences 

Outcome or impact of an event. 

Control 

An existing process, policy device, practice or other action that acts to minimize negative risk to 

enhance positive opportunities. 

Elements at Risk 

The population, buildings and civil engineering works, economic activities, public services and 

infrastructure etc, exposed to sources of risk. 

Emergency 

An event, actual or imminent, which endangers or threatens to endanger life, property or the 

environment, and which requires a significant and coordinated response. 

Emergency risk management 

A systematic process that produces a range of measures contributing to the well-being of 

communities and the environment. 

Environment 

Conditions or influences comprising built, physical and social elements which surround or interact 

with the community. 

Hazard 

A source of potential harm. 

Lifeline 

A system or network that provides services on which the well-being of the community depends. 

Likelihood 

Used as a general description of the probability or frequency. 

Monitor 

To check, supervise, observe critically, or record the progress of an activity, action or system on a 

regular basis in order to identify change from the performance level required or expected. 

Preparedness 

Arrangements to ensure that, should an emergency occur, all those resources and services which 

are needed to cope with the effects can be efficiently mobilized and deployed. 

Prevention 

Regulatory and physical measures to ensure that emergencies are eliminated or their effects 

mitigated. 


Recovery 

The coordinated process of supporting emergency-affected communities in the reconstruction of the 

physical infrastructure and restoration of emotional, social, economic and physical well-being. 

Residual risk 

The risk remaining after implementation of risk treatment. 

Response 

Actions taken in anticipation of, during and immediately after, an emergency to ensure its effects are 

minimized and that people affected are given immediate relief and support. 

Risk 

The chance of something happening that will have an impact upon objectives. 

Risk analysis 

Systematic process to understand the nature of and reduce the level of risk. 

Risk assessment 

The overall process used of risk identification, risk analysis, and risk evaluation. 

Risk evaluation 

Process of comparing the level of risk against risk criteria. 

Risk criteria 

Terms of reference by which the significance of risk is assessed. 

Risk management 

The culture, processes and structures that are directed towards realizing potential opportunities 

whilst managing adverse effects. 

Risk management process 

The systematic application of management policies, procedures and practices to the tasks of 

communicating, establishing the context, identifying, analysing, evaluating, treating, monitoring and 

reviewing risk. 

Risk register 

A listing of risk statements describing sources of risk and elements at risk with assigned 

consequences, likelihoods and levels of risk. 

Risk treatment 

Process of selection and implementation of measures to modify risk. 

Risk treatment options 

Measures which modify the characteristics of hazards, communities or environments. 

Sources of risk 

Sources of potential harm. 

Stakeholders 

Those people and organizations who may affect, be affected by or perceive themselves to be 

affected by, a decision, activity or risk. 

Susceptibility 

The potential to be affected by loss. 


Australia 


Canada 

Chile 

People’s Republic of China 

Hong Kong China 

Indonesia 

APEC Members 

Japan 

Republic of Korea 

Malaysia 

Mexico 

New Zealand 


Peru 

Philippines 

Russia 

Singapore 

Chinese Taipei 

Thailand 

United States of America 

Viet Nam 

AICST was established by the Tourism Ministers of the 21 APEC Economies and the APEC Tourism Working Group 

to provide information and assistance to APEC Economies and tourism destinations to improve tourism sustainability 

throughout the region. 

AICST aims to: 

• Contribute to improved planning and management of tourism • Increase capabilities and capacities 

• Assist better policy development by governments 

• Foster improved tourism education and training 

Prepared by the APEC International Centre for Sustainable Tourism 

PO Box 1430, Toowong, Queensland, Australia 4066 Email: info@aicst.org 

For the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Secretariat, 35 Heng Mui Keng Terrace Singapore 119616 

Tel: (65) 6775 6012 Fax: (65) 6775 6013 Email: info@apec.org Website: www.apec.org 

© 2006 APEC Secretariat APEC Report No: 206-TO-03.1 ISBN981-05-6732-4

Tourism Risk Management - Sustainable Tourism Online

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